Amsterdam has become the latest Dutch city to allow its wardens to wear religious symbols, clearing the way for all council officials to wear headscarves.

As yet it is unclear when the change will come into effect. Mayor Femke Halsema told councillors in a briefing that she is convinced all civil servants do their job in a professional and unbiased way, whatever their religious beliefs.

“That is why the board is recommending that all council workers be allowed to wear expressions of their religion,” she said.

Amsterdam is the latest Dutch city to allow its wardens, known as boas in Dutch, to wear religious symbols. Utrecht. Tilburg and Arnhem, for example, have already done so.

Justice minister Dilan Yesilgöz is opposed to the move and says that wardens in uniform should be subject to the same rules as the police, where neutrality is paramount. She backs extending current legislation to include a list of what wardens can and cannot wear.

Boa stands for buitengewoon opsporingsambtenaar. They are local authority employees who are primarily involved in maintaining public order and dealing with minor offences relating to issues such as parking, truancy and retail.

They can issue fines and some have the power to make arrests and search suspects. A small percentage may also carry pepper spray and a small truncheon.

Police officers and wardens in many other countries, including the US, Canada and Britain are allowed to wear headscarves, turbans and other religious head coverings. Research suggests that very few wardens in the Netherlands would actually do so if given the opportunity.