The government of Switzerland implemented the “burqa ban” on Wednesday, January 1, a controversial measure aimed at curbing public displays of facial coverings.
The ban followed a 2021 referendum in which Swiss voters narrowly approved limiting face coverings in public, including the niqab and burqa worn by some Muslim women. In the end, 51.2 percent voted in favour and 48.8 percent voted against.
According to Swissinfo, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) proposed the ban on face-coverings while campaigning on phrases such as “soft extremism”.