Switzerland rang in the year 2025 with the introduction of several new policies, among them a contentious law banning face coverings in public, targeting the burqa. The new rule, which came into effect on Wednesday, follows a controversial “anti-burqa” initiative that was approved by 51.2% of voters in a national referendum in March 2021.
The ban forms part of a new constitutional amendment that prohibits the wearing of face coverings in public places, thus trying to minimize the visibility barriers in different settings. The federal authorities declared that anyone who will violate the law will be met with an administrative fine of CHF 100, which is easily paid online. If it is not paid, the regular legal process could result in a maximum penalty of CHF 1,000.
The law does not apply to specific scenarios: for example, on airplanes or at diplomatic and consular locations. It also permits face coverings in places of worship or other secular settings, providing exemptions for certain contexts.
The law had strong supporters with the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which termed the law curbing “soft extremism,” not targeting Muslims, and not focused on Islam despite that. After all, still, the imposition has been reported to disproportionately have Muslim women burqa wearers in its receiving end, all because the legal action focuses directly on the symbolic theme of face coverage.
The Swiss government initially rejected the proposal as it claimed that it should not govern how women dress, but the referendum eventually won with a minimal margin. The idea was a campaign of the SVP, and human rights organizations such as Amnesty International highly criticized it since it violated “freedom of expression” and “religion” as rights of women.
The Muslim population in Switzerland is relatively low, with only about 5% of the population considering themselves Muslim. They are largely from Turkey, Bosnia, and Kosovo. Out of these numbers, only approximately 30 wear the niqab, while no women have been reported wearing the burqa. However, the law’s passage has not ended the debate concerning individual freedoms and cultural integration.
