Latvia to mull over ban on face-covering garments

A workgroup under the Latvian Interior Ministry will consider a proposal to ban face-concealing garments like burqas and hijabs in public places, the ministry's state secretary Ilze Petersone-Godmane said on public radio on Tuesday.

The Interior Ministry's official indicated that under the Latvian Constitution, expressions of religious practices can be restricted in the name of public security.

The situation in Latvia, however, cannot be compared to countries like France where such restrictions on traditional Muslim women's clothing are already in place and where the Muslim community has formed over many decades, as the security issues there are completely different from those in Latvia, Petersone-Godmane explained.

She admitted that the ban on burqas or hijabs had not been discussed in the workgroup yet.

"If this issue is given consideration it will be strictly from the security viewpoint," Petersone-Godmane said, adding that it is not for this particular workgroup to come up with proposals about such restrictions.

Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis said on Tuesday that a debate is needed on whether face-covering headscarves should be banned or allowed in public places as Latvia is preparing for the admission of refugees under the European Union's plan.