‘Stigmatising’: French Minister Pushes Back Against New Hijab Ban on Minors

IQNA – France’s interior minister has pushed back against a fresh attempt to outlaw the hijab for girls in public spaces, warning that the plan risks unfairly targeting Muslim youth.

The proposal comes amid a renewed political drive in France to tighten restrictions on visible expressions of faith. The country has long blended its strict version of secularism with legislation that has repeatedly limited how Muslims can observe their religion — from the 2004 ban on “conspicuous” religious symbols in public schools to the 2010 prohibition of full-face veils in public spaces.

Interior Minister Frédéric Nunez told BFMTV that the draft law put forward by senior Republican lawmaker Laurent Wauquiez would “deeply stigmatise Muslim citizens.” He said he could not support the bill in its current form.

Wauquiez’s proposal, tabled in the National Assembly last week, seeks to prevent all minors from wearing the headscarf in public.

A companion report by Republicans in the Senate pushes even further, suggesting a ban on Ramadan fasting for children under 16 — an idea that has stirred concern among Muslim families and rights advocates.

Nunez urged caution. He argued that the state should focus on individuals promoting extremist interpretations of Islam rather than imposing broad measures that cast suspicion on everyday religious practices.

The debate is straining President Emmanuel Macron’s centre-right government at a moment when the far-right is polling strongly ahead of the 2027 presidential race. Several senior ministers appear to support tighter rules.

Equality Minister Aurore Bergé told CNews she favoured a ban on headscarves for minors, claiming it would protect children. She added that she believed both chambers of parliament would now vote for such a measure.

Macron’s Renaissance party, led by former prime minister Gabriel Attal, has also floated restrictions — including a proposal earlier this year to stop those under 15 from covering their hair in public.

France’s strict secular model already bars teachers, civil servants and all students in public schools from wearing visible religious symbols, be it a cross, kippa, turban or hijab.

For many in the country’s large Muslim community, these rules — combined with successive attempts to expand them — have long signalled that policies presented as neutral often fall hardest on Muslims, especially young girls navigating their identities in public life.