Bulgaria banned full-face veils in most public places Friday, joining France, Belgium, and the Netherlands in outlawing the traditional Muslim garments after Islamist militant attacks in Europe.
The ban will be carried out in schools, public buildings, and other public places, and there will be a fine of up to $860 for those who don’t obey the ban, USA Today noted.
People will also have certain social benefits suspended if they don’t comply with the new law, Reuters noted.
The ruling center-right GERB party said the ban is not an attack on religious outfits, but instead is aimed at increasing national security and making way for better video surveillance, Reuters noted.
“The law is not directed against religious communities and is not repressive,” senior GERB lawmaker Krasimir Velchev said, according to Reuters. “We made a very good law for the safety of our children.”
According to USA Today, the ban comes in the midst of ongoing tensions over an influx of migrants to Europe, and also after several seaside towns in France banned burkinis during the summer. However, a French court overturned the burkinis decision last month after it was seen as controversial.
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said that 890,000 asylum seekers had entered the country last year, USA Today noted.
“The enormous, unique effort of those responsible in administration and politics, and especially the generous support of volunteers, has allowed us to manage these challenges well overall,” de Maiziere said, according to the German news agency DPA.
Germany counted more than 200,000 new arrivals this year, which de Maiziere says “shows the different measures are working.”
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