The Government of Andorra has expressed reservations regarding a legislative proposal from the political party Andorra Endavant (AE) that seeks to include regulations on full-body swimwear, such as the burkini, within a broader law concerning facial identification.
The proposed legislation aims to ensure that individuals can be identified in public spaces. However, the Government has questioned the inclusion of swimwear regulations in a text specifically designed to prevent the concealment of faces. The executive branch noted that a person can wear a full-body swimsuit while keeping their face fully visible, suggesting that the two issues are distinct.
The AE proposal seeks to amend the Public Security Law to allow administrators and managers of swimming pools, spas, gyms, and aquatic centers to establish objective standards for attire. This would include the potential to exclude full-body swimsuits that do not meet specific requirements. While the Government does not oppose the right of these facilities to set hygiene or safety standards, it argues that incorporating these rules into a law focused on facial identification is inappropriate.
In its official criteria, the Government stated that the proposal is overly broad and exceeds the scope necessary to regulate facial identification. The executive branch supports the principle of maintaining visible faces in certain spaces but has called for a thorough review of the text. Furthermore, the Government noted that the proposal addresses issues that do not currently have a significant presence in Andorra. The document specifically mentions that there is no data to suggest that the use of full-face veils, such as the niqab or burqa, is a widespread phenomenon in the country comparable to the situation that prompted similar legislation in France.
Article source: www.diariandorra.ad | Image credit: www.diariandorra.ad