Jurist Switzerland government urges voters to reject ban on full facial coverings

[Dadparvar]

The Federal Council of Switzerland released a statement on Tuesday urging voters to reject the “Yes to a ban on full facial coverings” initiative. The electorate will vote on the initiative during the March 7 election. The Swiss government instead proposes a policy that would require persons wearing full facial coverings to remove them and identify themselves to law enforcement officers when necessary.

According to the Federal Council, “A nationwide ban would undermine the sovereignty of the cantons, damage tourism and be unhelpful for certain groups of women.” The rule would govern all public places and would only allow for exceptions in places of worship, for health and safety purposes, for weather conditions, and due to local custom.

The Federal Council noted that the ban would not increase public safety or improve women’s conditions:

Parliament has approved other instruments for combating extremism, including tighter criminal law provisions and increased counter-terrorism police measures. Furthermore, a ban would not improve the position of women who wear veils. Other instruments exist for tackling integration issues; banning certain items of clothing is not the right approach.

Under current policy, cantonal authorities decide whether full facial coverings may be worn, and are able to address the specific concerns of the local population. Because the majority of people who wear full facial coverings in Switzerland are tourists, a nationwide policy banning full facial coverings would disproportionately and negatively affect regions that rely on tourism. Additionally, enacting a nationwide policy would require that cantons enforce the policy, which may not be done consistently.

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