The law was based on Dutch legislation that banned wearing a veil in public, according to the Chamber of Deputies website.

Luxembourg’s law forbids wearing a burqa or niqab:

• On public transport
• In state and private schools, crèches and daycare centres
• At hospitals and healthcare facilities
• In retirement homes, except in residents’ rooms
• Inside courts and public buildings, including commune halls

Exceptions are granted for artistic performances, cultural events and for medical reasons (with a doctor’s note).

Offenders face fines of €25 to €250.

Bill 7179 was introduced by the Green justice minister, Félix Braz, in September 2017 and was amended several times to limit the law’s scope.

The measure passed on Thursday 26 April with a small majority. 32 MPs--from the government coalition parties DP, LSAP and Greens--voted in favour, the chamber said. 28 MPs--from the opposition parties CSV, ADR and Left--voted against. The bill’s rapporteur was the Green MP Viviane Loschetter.

In August 2017, the Assembly of the Muslim Community of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg called the issue a “fake debate”. The group has estimated that between 12 and 16 Muslim women in Luxembourg wear full veils.