Burka ban comes into force in Switzerland as Muslims ordered to obey or pay huge £8k fine

From the Express

It is now illegal to wear a face veil in public in the Tessin region following the result of a referendum on the issue in 2013, in which 65 per cent voted in favour of a complete ban.

Michele Bertini, FDP city council and police director in Lugano, sent out leaflets on the issue in Arabic and an ‘intercultural mediator’ was brought in to train police to deal with the potential fallout.

Anyone caught wearing a veil can be fined up to €9,200 (£7,890).

But it is feared the ban will affect Muslim tourists, who spend each year spend around 40,000 nights in the city of Lugano alone. The hotel industry makes approximately 19million CHF, or Swiss Franc, a year from tourists from the Middle East.

Ticino Turismo, the tourist information centre, said the wish of the sovereignty would be “respected” but it is feared veiled women will avoid the area altogether. However it was also suggested guests from the Gulf States make up only 2.1 per cent of overnight stays.

Despite the concern local government officials will not oppose the strong vote from the public.

A national committee has been set up and is collecting signatures to expand the ban across the rest of Switzerland. The Saudi Arabian embassy in Bern has warned its citizens visiting Switzerland this summer to be careful not to break the law.

A Swiss Muslim convert and a French-Algerian businessman are facing fines after defying the law over the weekend.