Belgium
In neighbouring Belgium, a similar initiative for a ban on full veils in public places, including in the streets, is expected to become law in July.
The governing parties and opposition agree on the move, and the full house is widely expected to easily endorse the draft law, which is on the agenda for Thursday.
But a deep political crisis is looming after a party threatened to pull out of the government if tense negotiations between the French and Dutch-language communities on power-sharing are not finalised in 24 hours.
"There is a hitch. The agenda of the chamber could be thrown into disarray depending on how the political situation evolves," one official said.
A leading rights watchdog late Wednesday warned against the move saying it would be counterproductive.
"Bans like this lead to a lose-lose situation," said Judith Sunderland, senior Western Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch. "They violate the rights of those who choose to wear the veil and do nothing to help those who are compelled to do so."
It said there was no evidence that wearing the full veil in public threatened public safety, public order, health, morals, or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.
-Agencies
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