Swiss parliamentarians have supported a plan to oblige people to show their faces during identity checks and visits to social security authorities. The proposal is aimed at countering an outright ban on wearing a burka in public.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/urs
The House of Representatives on Thursday agreed in principle to a legal reform, which falls short of a hard-line constitutional amendment.
A majority of the house, notably representatives of the Social Democratic Party as well as centrist groups, also approved additional measures to help integrate foreign women into Swiss society.
The other parliamentary chamber, the Senate, still has to decide on proposals aimed at improving gender equality, notably for Muslim women.
Hardline initiative
The counter-proposal comes amid a right-wing people’s initiative aimed at introducing a burka ban. Campaigners handed in the necessary number of signatures in 2017 to force a nationwide vote. They argue Switzerland should do more to combat “islamisation” and safeguard public security.
Parliament is due to wrap up discussions on the initiative next year before a date is set for a nationwide vote at a later stage.
Two of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, Ticino and St Gallen, have introduced burka bans at a local level; other cantons rejected similar proposals.
More
More
Switzerland’s controversial minaret ban, ten years on
This content was published on
A decade ago, a majority of Swiss voters backed a people’s initiative banning the building of minarets in the country. What has changed since?
This content was published on
Swiss public broadcasters RTS and SRF are drastically reducing their communications via the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Israel: president of Swiss universities rejects academic boycott
This content was published on
Luciana Vaccaro, president of Swissuniversities, the umbrella group of Swiss universities, is not in favour of an academic boycott of Israeli universities.
First large-scale alpine solar plant approved in Switzerland
This content was published on
The approval was met with satisfaction by the project's organisers, but it also brings with it a certain amount of pressure.
Medieval squirrels may have ‘helped spread leprosy’
This content was published on
An examination of squirrel remains in the United Kingdom has opened up interesting questions and possibilities in terms of the history of the disease.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Politicians prefer moderate alternative to outright ‘burka ban’
This content was published on
Swiss parliamentarians have rejected a right-wing call for an outright ban on the wearing of face coverings, such as burkas, in public.
This content was published on
On Thursday, the cabinet responded to a parliamentary question on the subject, and clarified when face coverings could affect recipients of state financial assistance. According to them, the burka or niqab could pose a problem when it came to identifying beneficiaries of social welfare payments. The religious garments could also create difficulties if a medical…
This content was published on
Following last Sunday’s vote results, St. Gallen became the second canton to ban facial covering in Switzerland. What are the chances of a federal ban?
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.