Ban the burqa and enact urgent new immigration laws. That is the simple prescription for social order from Slovenia’s parliamentary opposition as the tiny European nation struggles to cope with the migrant invasion convulsing its borders and interior.
A new bill proposed by the opposition Democratic Party (SDS) seeks to amend the existing Protection of Public Order Act in order to ban the female Islamic headwear while at the same time limiting migration and imposing stricter border controls.
The call comes as Slovenia continues to deal with unprecedented migrant inflows and attendant social dislocation. As Breitbart London has reported, some parts of the country have been likened to a war zone with one local mayor even appealing to Germany for help.
Earlier this month Slovenia started erecting a razor wire fence along parts of its border with Croatia amid heavy security, saying it wanted better control over the surge of migrants passing through as they make their way across Europe.
Around 180,000 people have entered Slovenia since mid-October alone, most of them heading north to Austria and then on to Germany.
Now opposition parliamentarians want to ensure those already in the country follow accepted norms.
“When in Slovenia, people should respect Slovenian culture and Slovenian customs. That is why we drafted a bill that seeks to ban the burqa in public,” SDS head Janez Janša said.
According to Delo news service, the burqa ban is predicated on leglislation already enacted in France.
SDS MP Vinko Gorenak, a former Interior Minister, stressed that France banned the burqa in public places six years ago and the European Court of Human Rights upheld the ban, agreeing that wearing the burqa in public is not a human right. Belgium and parts of Spain have similar legislation.
Under the proposed bill, women could be fined 100 euros for wearing the burqa in public. “We must adapt to their customs when going to their places. There is no reason why we shouldn’t demand the same of them when they are in our cultural environment,” Mr. Gorenak added.
The bill seeks to change what Mr. Janša called Slovenia’s “generous asylum laws”. According to Mr. Janša, the point of asylum is to ensure “safety” rather than foster “integration”, meaning that people seeking asylum should be provided a safe environment as long as the regions in which they live are unsafe.
The annual quota for the number of accepted asylum-seekers would also be set by the Slovenian Parliament not the European Union (EU) under the new proposals. Foreigners seeking to enter Slovenia would have to claim asylum immediately upon arrival and submit all the necessary documents within three days. The relevant authorities would have to process the petitions within 30 days.
Even though there is support coming from across the aisle, Delo reports the bill does not appear destined for approval.