Denmark is planning to ban burqas and niqabs in schools and universities as part of its campaign against what it calls “parallel societies.”
Full-face coverings have been banned in public spaces since 2018. The proposed law would extend the restriction to classrooms across the country.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s left-leaning government says the move is intended to improve integration and address “negative social control.”
In Denmark, the term “parallel societies” is used for urban areas where more than half of the residents are from non-Western immigrant backgrounds.
The proposal was reported by the center-right newspaper Berlingske, which cited a statement from the Danish immigration ministry.
“The government will present a number of legislative proposals that were not adopted before the election,” the ministry said, adding that these would include stronger measures against parallel societies and negative social control.
Critics have questioned the need for the ban, saying very few students wear burqas in Danish schools or universities. Berlingske also suggested the policy may be aimed more at political signaling than addressing a widespread issue.
Under Denmark’s existing ban, repeat offenders can be fined up to 10,000 Danish kroner, or about £1,300.
Denmark already has some of Europe’s strictest immigration and asylum policies, with migration remaining a major issue for both center-left and right-wing parties.
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