"Banning access to public administrations and institutions to anyone with their face covered... for [so-called] security reasons," the Prime Minister office said Friday.

The entry of women wearing niqab into public institutions and organizations is prohibited by this decree, while Tunisia with this decree has joined European countries enforcing a ban on those wearing niqab.

The niqab and other outward shows of Islamic devotion were not tolerated under the regime of longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali but have made a comeback since he was toppled in Tunisia's 2011 revolution.

Previously, in Algeria, employees in public institutions were banned from wearing veils that covered their faces.

France, Belgium, and Bulgaria had previously banned the niqab and covering the face.

Laws supporting the niqab ban continue in the Netherlands, but local bans are also enforced in other countries, including Denmark, Russia, Spain, and Switzerland.

ILKHA