German lawmakers on Thursday approved a partial ban on the full-face burqa Islamic veil and a package of security measures aimed at preventing extremist attacks.

The new laws follow several jihadist attacks, including a truck rampage through a Berlin Christmas market that claimed 12 lives, and come ahead of September elections.

The new law on facial coverings falls short of a total ban in public places demanded by right-wing parties, like that in effect in neighbouring France since 2011.

The prohibition will apply to public servants -- including election officials, military and judicial staff -- performing their duties.&nbsp;

&quot;The state has a duty to present itself in an ideologically and religiously neutral manner,&quot; says the text of the law passed by the lower house in the evening.

Germany has since 2015 taken in more than one million migrants and refugees, most from predominantly Muslim countries.

This has stoked a xenophobic backlash and boosted the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany party, which has attempted to link the influx to a heightened threat of terrorism.

&#39;Limits of tolerance&#39;&nbsp;

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the social integration of immigrants requires &quot;that we make clear and communicate our values and the limits of our tolerance to other cultures&quot;.&nbsp;

The ban on full facial coverings allows exceptions -- for example, for health workers protecting themselves against infections or police officers concealing their identity.

People can also be required to remove facial coverings in order to match them with their identity papers.&nbsp;

New security measures also include the use of electronic ankle bracelets, if approved by a judge, for people deemed a security threat, in federal police cases -- such as known Islamic radicals considered potentially violent by security services.

Another law paves the way for national and state police forces to pool their data in a new integrated IT system.

Under another new measure, Germany will implement EU rules on the exchange of flight passenger data to counter terrorism and serious crime.

And physical attacks on police, emergency services and military personnel on duty will in future be punished more severely, with up to five years&#39; jail. &nbsp;

The reforms follow the December 19 truck attack in Berlin claimed by the Islamic State group.&nbsp;The suspect, 24-year-old Tunisian national Anis Amri, was shot dead four days later by Italian police.

The Amri case sparked public anger after it emerged he had already been in the crosshairs of security services and should long ago have been sent back to Tunisia, which for months refused to take him.

National and state police and security services had monitored Amri for months, knowing that he had used multiple identities and addresses and had been in contact with radical Islamists.

(AFP)

German lawmakers have disallowed election officials, military and judicial staff from wearing the burqa to curb extremist attacks

German lawmakers on Thursday approved a partial ban on the full-face burqa Islamic veil and a package of security measures aimed at preventing extremist attacks. The new laws follow several jihadist attacks, including a truck rampage through a Berlin Christmas market that claimed 12 lives, and come ahead of September elections. The new law on facial coverings falls short of a total ban in public places demanded by right-wing parties, like that in effect in neighbouring France since 2011. The prohibition will apply to public servants -- including election officials, military and judicial staff -- performing their duties. "The state has a duty to present itself in an ideologically and religiously neutral manner," says the text of the law passed by the lower house in the evening. Germany has since 2015 taken in more than one million migrants and refugees, most from predominantly Muslim countries. This has stoked a xenophobic backlash and boosted the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany party, which has attempted to link the influx to a heightened threat of terrorism. 'Limits of tolerance' Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the social integration of immigrants requires "that we make clear and communicate our values and the limits of our tolerance to other cultures". The ban on full facial coverings allows exceptions -- for example, for health workers protecting themselves against infections or police officers concealing their identity. People can also be required to remove facial coverings in order to match them with their identity papers. New security measures also include the use of electronic ankle bracelets, if approved by a judge, for people deemed a security threat, in federal police cases -- such as known Islamic radicals considered potentially violent by security services. Another law paves the way for national and state police forces to pool their data in a new integrated IT system. Under another new measure, Germany will implement EU rules on the exchange of flight passenger data to counter terrorism and serious crime. And physical attacks on police, emergency services and military personnel on duty will in future be punished more severely, with up to five years' jail. The reforms follow the December 19 truck attack in Berlin claimed by the Islamic State group. The suspect, 24-year-old Tunisian national Anis Amri, was shot dead four days later by Italian police. The Amri case sparked public anger after it emerged he had already been in the crosshairs of security services and should long ago have been sent back to Tunisia, which for months refused to take him. National and state police and security services had monitored Amri for months, knowing that he had used multiple identities and addresses and had been in contact with radical Islamists. (AFP)

Germany prohibits public servants from wearing the burqa

Germany&#39;s interior minister came out in favour of partially banning the full-face burqa Islamic veil on Friday, as a debate on integration rages after two jihadist attacks, and ahead of key state polls. 
 
The call by Thomas de Maiziere comes as Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s government attempts to address public fears surrounding last year&#39;s record influx of migrants and refugees.&nbsp;It also echoed a controversial move by several French towns in recent weeks to outlaw &quot;burkinis&quot;, the full-body Islamic swimsuit, at a highly sensitive time for relations with the Muslim community following a series of Islamist attacks. 
 
&quot;We agree that we reject the burqa, we agree that we want to introduce a legal requirement to show one&#39;s face in places where it is necessary for our society&#39;s coexistence: at the wheel, at public offices, at the registry office, in schools and universities, in the civil service, in court,&quot; De Maiziere said after a meeting with regional counterparts from his conservative bloc. 
 
He told public television that the full-face veil &quot;does not belong in our cosmopolitan country&quot;. 
 
&quot;We want to show our faces to each other and that is why we agree that we reject this. The question is, how we put this into law,&quot; he said.&nbsp;De Maiziere, who was to hold a press conference later on Friday on the proposal, did not say when he would put forward a draft bill. 
 
But he indicated that outlawing the burqa only under certain circumstances, as opposed to the blanket ban favoured by the hard right of Merkel&#39;s Christian Union bloc, would be &quot;likely to win approval&quot; in parliament.&nbsp;Merkel&#39;s right-left &quot;grand coalition&quot; holds an overwhelming majority in the Bundestag lower house. 
 
Islamic State threat &#39;already there&#39; 
 
In an interview with a regional newspaper this week, Merkel underlined her objections to the burqa.&nbsp;&quot;From my point of view, a woman who is entirely veiled has hardly any chance at integrating,&quot; she said. 
 
De Maiziere&#39;s position outlined on Friday represents a compromise with hardliners ahead of two pivotal regional elections next month in which the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party looks set to make strong gains. 
 
Just last week he had rejected a call from conservative state interior ministers for a sweeping burqa ban, saying: &quot;We can&#39;t ban everything that we reject, and I reject the wearing of the burqa.&quot; 
 
He made the comments on August 11 as he unveiled tough new anti-terror measures after two attacks in Germany last month claimed by the Islamic State group.&nbsp;The measures included a controversial proposal to strip jihadist fighters of their German nationality, as well as to speed up deportations of convicted criminal migrants and boost police resources. 
 
The AfD in particular has attempted to link the arrival of nearly 1.1 million migrants and refugees in Germany last year with an increased threat of terrorism, an argument Merkel sharply rejected this week on the campaign trail in her home district. 
 
&quot;The phenomenon of Islamist terrorism by Islamic State is not something that came to us with the refugees, it was already there,&quot; she said, referring to the threat posed by homegrown militants. 
 
(AFP)

Thomas de Maiziere told public television that the full-face veil 'does not belong in our cosmopolitan country'

Germany's interior minister came out in favour of partially banning the full-face burqa Islamic veil on Friday, as a debate on integration rages after two jihadist attacks, and ahead of key state polls. The call by Thomas de Maiziere comes as Chancellor Angela Merkel's government attempts to address public fears surrounding last year's record influx of migrants and refugees. It also echoed a controversial move by several French towns in recent weeks to outlaw "burkinis", the full-body Islamic swimsuit, at a highly sensitive time for relations with the Muslim community following a series of Islamist attacks. "We agree that we reject the burqa, we agree that we want to introduce a legal requirement to show one's face in places where it is necessary for our society's coexistence: at the wheel, at public offices, at the registry office, in schools and universities, in the civil service, in court," De Maiziere said after a meeting with regional counterparts from his conservative bloc. He told public television that the full-face veil "does not belong in our cosmopolitan country". "We want to show our faces to each other and that is why we agree that we reject this. The question is, how we put this into law," he said. De Maiziere, who was to hold a press conference later on Friday on the proposal, did not say when he would put forward a draft bill. But he indicated that outlawing the burqa only under certain circumstances, as opposed to the blanket ban favoured by the hard right of Merkel's Christian Union bloc, would be "likely to win approval" in parliament. Merkel's right-left "grand coalition" holds an overwhelming majority in the Bundestag lower house. Islamic State threat 'already there' In an interview with a regional newspaper this week, Merkel underlined her objections to the burqa. "From my point of view, a woman who is entirely veiled has hardly any chance at integrating," she said. De Maiziere's position outlined on Friday represents a compromise with hardliners ahead of two pivotal regional elections next month in which the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party looks set to make strong gains. Just last week he had rejected a call from conservative state interior ministers for a sweeping burqa ban, saying: "We can't ban everything that we reject, and I reject the wearing of the burqa." He made the comments on August 11 as he unveiled tough new anti-terror measures after two attacks in Germany last month claimed by the Islamic State group. The measures included a controversial proposal to strip jihadist fighters of their German nationality, as well as to speed up deportations of convicted criminal migrants and boost police resources. The AfD in particular has attempted to link the arrival of nearly 1.1 million migrants and refugees in Germany last year with an increased threat of terrorism, an argument Merkel sharply rejected this week on the campaign trail in her home district. "The phenomenon of Islamist terrorism by Islamic State is not something that came to us with the refugees, it was already there," she said, referring to the threat posed by homegrown militants. (AFP)

Germany's interior minister votes for partial burqa ban

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Germany prohibits public servants from wearing the burqa

Germany's interior minister votes for partial burqa ban