From January 1, 2025, Swiss authorities have banned the wearing of full-face clothing, including the hijab, in public places, with fines ranging from 100 to 1,000 Swiss francs ($110.2 to $1,102).
The population of Switzerland voted in favor of the initiative in a referendum held in March 2021. At that time, 51.2% of the survey participants were in favor of the ban. Previously, this restriction only applied at the regional level in the cantons of St. Gallen and Ticino.
The ban will apply to clothing worn by Muslims, such as the hijab and burqa, as well as balaclavas worn by football fans. These are now banned in shops, restaurants, government buildings and public transport or to protect against the cold.
According to Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, the ban will affect only a small part of the 400,000 Muslims living in Switzerland. Among them, as the politician noted, only about 20-30 women wear hijab.
