Paris , France ( CNN ) -- The French Senate approved Tuesday a law banning any veils that cover the face -- including the burqa , the full-body covering worn by some Muslim women -- making France the first European country to plan such a measure . The law passed by a vote of 246 to 1 , with about 100 abstentions coming essentially from left-leaning politicians . The legislation was overwhelmingly approved by the lower house of parliament in July and will go into effect next spring . French people back the ban by a margin of more than four to one , the Pew Global Attitudes Project found in a survey earlier this year . Some 82 percent of people polled approved of a ban , while 17 percent disapproved . That was the widest support the Washington-based think tank found in any of the five countries it surveyed . Clear majorities also backed burqa bans in Germany , Britain and Spain , while two out of three Americans opposed it , the survey found . A panel of French lawmakers recommended a ban last year , and lawmakers unanimously passed a non-binding resolution in May calling the full-face veil contrary to the laws of the nation . `` Given the damage it produces on those rules which allow the life in community , ensure the dignity of the person and equality between sexes , this practice , even if it is voluntary , can not be tolerated in any public place , '' the French government said when it sent the measure to parliament in May . The law imposes a fine of 150 euros ( $ 190 ) and/or a citizenship course as punishment for wearing a face-covering veil . Forcing a woman to wear a niqab or a burqa will be punishable by a year in prison or a 15,000-euro ( $ 19,000 ) fine , the government said , calling it `` a new form of enslavement that the republic can not accept on its soil . '' The French Council of State has warned that the ban could be incompatible with international human rights laws and the country 's own constitution . The council advises on laws , but the government is not required to follow its recommendations . The ban pertains to the burqa , a full-body covering that includes a mesh over the face , and the niqab , a full-face veil that leaves an opening only for the eyes . The hijab , which covers the hair and neck but not the face , and the chador , which covers the body but not the face , apparently are not banned by the law . However , a 2004 law in France bans the wearing or displaying of overt religious symbols in schools -- including the wearing of headscarves by schoolgirls . The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life estimates that France has about 3.5 million Muslims , or about 6 percent of the population . France does not keep its own statistics on religious affiliation of the population , in keeping with its laws requiring the state to be strictly secular . CNN 's Saskya Vandoorne contributed to this report .
NEW : The law will go into effect next spring and impose a fine of $ 190 for violations . The ban passed the lower house of the French parliament by a huge majority . A poll this year showed French people overwhelmingly favor a ban . Comment: