How is the Islamic veil regulated in Europe?

London / Rome / Paris / BerlinTogether he has shown himself to be a supporter this Wednesday to ban the Islamic veil in schools during compulsory education—a position also held by the People's Party—while the Catalan Alliance has promoted a motion in the Parliament, which will be rejected this Thursday, calling for the Generalitat (Catalan government) to ban this religious symbol in all public spaces. This is not a new debate and has already been replicated within European states. What is the regulation in neighboring countries? Below, ARA correspondents detail what is happening in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, there is no national legislation prohibiting the wearing of full-face veils—such as the niqab or burqa—but individual institutions can establish their own policies depending on the context and on safety or coexistence criteria. In the educational field, schools have broad autonomy to set standards for student dress. Although there is no general ban, schools can restrict the wearing of the niqab if they believe it interferes with communication or learning. The most relevant precedent is a 2007 ruling by the High Court of Justice of England and Wales, which upheld a school's decision to ban this type of veil. The court found the measure not discriminatory, as it was part of a clear and fairly applied uniform policy. In contrast, the wearing of the hijab—a headscarf that covers the head but leaves the face uncovered—is generally permitted and widely accepted in school and professional settings.

At airports, security authorities may ask passengers to temporarily remove their niqab or burqa for identification purposes. This procedure is usually carried out in private areas by female staff, in order to respect religious sensitivities. It is considered a legal requirement in security protocols. Banks, for their part, also have the authority to ask customers to show their faces for identity verification during transactions. They may also require the removal of veils to allow identification by security cameras.

Italy

In Italy, there is no specific legislation prohibiting the Islamic veil. However, last January, the League, the party of Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, proposed to the Chamber of Deputies the reform of a 1975 law that prohibits covering the face and impeding recognition without a "justified reason." The initiative plans to eliminate this last provision—the "justified reason"—and specify the only cases in which a person may conceal their identity: in places of worship, for health reasons (for example, by wearing masks), for road safety reasons (motorcycle helmets), and in sports competitions and recreational events. In all other cases, people should keep their faces uncovered to facilitate identification at all times. This would therefore prevent the use of the full-face Islamic veil in the street.

The text also introduces a new crime punishable by up to two years in prison and fines of up to 30,000 euros for those who force "through violence or threats" to wear this type of clothing. Its approval, in any case, is not guaranteed in the Chamber of Deputies. In the Lombardy region in northern Italy, a stronghold of the League, the far-right party went further and recently proposed explicitly banning the Islamic veil in schools. The motion was rejected because it lacked the support of Forza Italia and the Brothers of Italy, partners in the government coalition led by Giorgia Meloni.

Germany

Germany has partially banned the full-face veil. Since 2017, female civil servants, judges, and soldiers have been prohibited from wearing the full-face Islamic veil while on duty. Although German law does not prohibit the wearing of the full-face veil in public spaces, wearing a burqa or niqab while driving has been prohibited since 2017, so that the driver can be recognized in the event of an accident or violation. Regulations regarding the use of the Islamic veil in schools vary by region, as education is the responsibility of the federal states. Several of these states prohibit female teachers from wearing the hijab (a non-full-face veil) in public schools and colleges, but there is no ban on female students, who are free to express their freedom of belief in this way. Regarding the full-face veil, Bavaria and Lower Saxony were the first to ban its use in schools in 2017, and other states followed suit. Several universities have also banned students from wearing this religious symbol. In Germany, everyone has the right to freely practice their religion, including in the workplace. However, it is justifiable for an employer to prohibit the wearing of a headscarf, for example, when working with machinery because it can be dangerous.

France

In France, the secular nature of the state is one of the pillars of the Republic. Since 2004, ostentatious religious symbols have been banned in schools and colleges, for both students and teachers. This ban includes the veil. And since 2011, the full-face veil, which covers the face, has been prohibited in any public space, including the street. In fact, France was the first country to adopt such a law. In 2013, the legislation went even further and established the prohibition of schools and colleges "of symbols or garments through which the student ostentatiously manifests his or her affiliation with a religion." A ban that, in practice, primarily affects Muslim robes. All of these initiatives have been controversial when passed, but no government has reversed them.