Switzerland officially joins several other European countries now banning the use of facial coverings in public, including niqabs, burqas, ski masks, and other full-face coverings in public places.
Voters approved the proposed ban on Sunday. Under the new law, face coverings used for health reasons are exempted. People wearing face coverings inside religious facilities such as mosques will also be permitted.
Other European countries that have already imposed bans on face coverings include Denmark, Austria, France, and the Netherlands.
The proposed legislation in Switzerland was passed by the country's right-wing Egerkingen Committee. The group also led a people's initiative more than a decade ago to ban the building or Minarets, a type of building that is typically part of a mosque.
The committee initially presented the proposed legislation in 2017, along with over 100,000 signatures demanding that the issue be brought to a national vote. During that time, the Swiss government opposed the proposition, stating that it was too "excessive" and each region should decide if it wants to implement the ban or not.
According to the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, the so-called "burqa ban" barely passed a majority vote. The proposal received a 51.2% vote in support of its implementation.
The proposal was heavily backed by the nationalist Swiss People's Party, which said that the implementation of the new measure was a big win in the country's fight against "radical political Islam."
"The burqa creates a barrier between the person wearing it and the environment and thus prevents integration into society," Swiss People's Party President Marco Chiesa said.
Women's rights group had also applauded the government for passing the new legislation, citing that burqas and other full coverings are oppressive to women.
Other groups, including some religious institutions, slammed the passing of the law, which they said was "Islamophobic." The Islamic Central Council of Switzerland said that passing the law is "tearing up old wounds" and is sending a negative signal to the country's Muslim population.
The BBC said that only a few dozen Muslim women wear full-face coverings in Switzerland. Most of the country's Muslim population, which is only around 5%, does not adhere to the practice.
