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© Christopher Furlong/Getty Images/Postmedia NewsJason Kenney, right, said on Monday that Niqabs, such as the one left, could not be worn during Canadian citizenship ceremonies.
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.

"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.

Currently at airports, veiled Muslim women may opt to show their face only to a female security screener. They may also vote in elections without showing their face. But Kenney said from today all women must remove any face coverings before crossing the final hurdle in becoming a Canadian citizen.

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© Andrew Barr/National Post
"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".

"Frankly, I found it bizarre that the rules allowed people to take the oath with a veil," he said.

Kenney claimed the oath was a "public declaration that you are joining the Canadian family and it must be taken freely and openly."