France became October 2010 in the first European country to ban the burqa in public spaces, exposing anyone who wears it to fines of 150 euros. A decision that generated a great division of opinions in the country at the time, and that did not stop there; Its use was also vetoed in high level sports competitions.
Years later, in August 2023, after several serious incidents in different schools, The Ministry of Education decided to ban the use of the abaya –women’s clothing– and the qamis –men’s clothing– in schools. The minister Gabriel Attal justified this measure as a way to avoid discrimination and that in schools “all students are welcomed under the same rights and duties, without stigmatization“.
The law no. 2010-1192, However, it is not so explicit, does not mention the word ‘burqa’ and is limited to prohibiting “any garment that is intended for hide your face”except for those “prescribed or authorized by legislation (for example, safety helmets), if they are justified for reasons of health or professional needs, or if the garment is worn in the context of sports, festivities, artistic or traditional events.”
The State justified this decision based on the law of 1905 establishing the principle of secularism in France seeking to guarantee freedom, and which instituted the separation of Church and State. This veto managed to be endorsed as legal by the European Court of Human Rights, which once considered the arguments of security and identification in public spaces to be legitimate.
However, other organizations, such as have pointed out that “the ban could contravene European human rights standards, in particular the right to respect for private life and personal identity”, insisting that the State should “avoid legislating on clothing.” NGOs also consider that these measures still stigmatize more to the 5.4 million Muslims residing in Franceand fuel extremist discourses.
2004, the year opened the door to change
Although the ban on the burqa was not approved until 2010, the first step was taken in 2004 under the presidency of Jacques Chiracwhen the country presented the first law that banned any “ostentatious” religious sign in schools and institutes, affecting not only the hijabbut also to the Jewish kippah or Catholic crosses. At work, if it is a public administration Nor can one wear the Islamic veil in the name of neutrality that officials must respect.
Since then, it is difficult to quantify the influence of these prohibitions on French society, since The State does not collect statistics by religion or ethnicity. It is estimated that beyond the debate generated it has not had a great impact, in terms of administrative sanctions. Although, in the last 20 years, several resistance groups have been born, such as All Equal Moms (Moms are all the same), which supports mothers who wear headscarves in their children’s school life, or ‘Les hijabeuses’, a hijab-wearing women’s football team.
France is one of the European countries with the strictest regulations, but despite that the Religious violence figures have not been reduced, as the 2004 law intended. In 2025, 2,489 of these attacks were committed, more than half of anti-Semitic nature, and 9% against Christians. Although the most significant increase refers to the Muslim community, with 88% compared to 2024. The last victim occurred on February 9, when a group of young people attacked a 17-year-old Syrian student at the doors of a school.
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