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Muslim women will be banned from wearing face coverings such as burka and niqab veils when swearing the oath of citizenship, under new rules announced Monday.

“Starting today, any individual will have to show his or her face when taking the oath of citizenship,” Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced in Montreal.

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“Allowing a group to hide their faces while they are becoming members of our community is counter to Canada’s commitment to openness, equality and social cohesion,” he explained.

“We cannot have two classes of citizenship ceremonies. Canadian citizenship is not just about the right to carry a passport and to vote,” Kenney said.

He claimed the move follows complaints from citizenship judges, MPs and others who’ve participated in citizenship ceremonies who have argued it’s hard to tell whether veiled individuals are actually reciting the oath.

“Every week, in every region of the country, we’re dealing with situations where applicants arrive with a veil on”.