Calls by British MPs to ban burqas have reignited public debate over the wearing of Islamic face veils in public spaces.
The burqa, the most concealing of all Islamic veils, covers the face and body, typically leaving only a mesh screen for the wearer to see through.
The renewed controversy was sparked on Wednesday by newly elected Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin, who urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to consider banning the burqa in public, citing public safety concerns and pointing to similar bans in countries like France, Belgium, and Denmark.
Starmer dismissed the suggestion, saying, “I am not going to follow her down that line.”
Pochin’s proposal revealed internal divisions within Reform and opened the floodgates for broader political commentary.
Party Chairman Zia Yusuf publicly criticised Pochin’s question as “dumb,” adding that it was not aligned with official party policy.
He resigned on Thursday, citing that continuing in his role was no longer a “good use of my time.”
Other Reform MPs, however, backed Pochin’s position. Richard Tice and Lee Anderson supported a ban, arguing, “No one should be allowed to hide their identity in public.”
They further described the burqa as a “political symbol” representing “a deeply patriarchal and unpleasant worldview” that they believe is incompatible with British values.
Tice called for a “national debate” and questioned whether burqa-wearing women were truly making a free choice.
From the Conservative benches, Nick Timothy argued that women covering their faces goes against British values and is “fatal for social trust to live among people dressed this way.”
Advocacy group Women Safety UK backed Pochin and called for a ban.
“If you care about freedom, care about the women forced to wear the burqa. It’s time to ban the burqa,” the group said.
Zia Yusuf sits behind Sarah Pochin as she speaks at a Reform UK press conference in London on May 27, 2025. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
But not all responses aligned with this view, as Liberal Democrat and Labour MPs pushed back.
Lib Dem MP Joshua Reynolds argued “there is nothing British about the government telling you what you can, and can’t wear.”
Labour MP Mike Tapp acknowledged concerns around coercion but defended religious freedom, saying, “We believe in religious freedom and that many Muslim women do decide to wear the burqa.”
Tapp added that if a woman is being forced to wear an item of clothing, “then that’s likely to be part of a bigger problem within that relationship.”
He said the government is working to strengthen laws addressing violence against women and girls, including coercive control, making it as serious as physical abuse.
The Muslim Council of Britain condemned the proposal and the ensuing media storm, calling it a distraction tactic.
“Instead, we will continue to focus on what matters to all Britons: the cost of living crisis, the strain on our NHS, and the need for unity, dignity, and real solutions,” it said.
Recurring Debate in the UK
This is far from the first time the UK has grappled with whether to regulate or ban Islamic face veils such as the burqa and niqab.
While no nationwide ban has been enacted, the topic has surfaced periodically over the past two decades.
The UK has repeatedly debated banning Islamic face veils like the burqa and niqab, but no national law has ever been passed.
The issue gained attention in 2006, when then-Foreign Secretary Jack Straw publicly expressed discomfort with face veils, sparking national discussion and controversy.
Local people protest following comments made by former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson against the wearing of Burkas by Muslim women, outside the Hillingdon Conservative Association office in Uxbridge, England, on Aug. 9, 2018. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
The issue resurfaced in 2018 when Boris Johnson compared women wearing burqas to “letter boxes” and “bank robbers” in a newspaper column.
His remarks were widely condemned as Islamophobic, though he defended them as a critique of oppressive dress codes.
Despite periodic calls for bans, successive UK governments have upheld the principle of religious freedom, confining any restrictions to specific institutional or security-sensitive settings.
Currently, a public petition titled “Prohibit the wearing of all full-face coverings in public spaces” is open for signatures and will close in November 2025.
Bans Across the Continent
Several European nations have already implemented full or partial bans on face-covering garments such as the burqa, often citing national security, social cohesion, and secularism.
France led the way in 2011 with a nationwide public ban.
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands followed with varying degrees of restriction. In Belgium, some MPs described the burqa as a “walking prison,” portraying it as symbolic of women’s oppression.
Switzerland’s face-covering ban took effect in January 2024 following legislative approval.
In Germany, while some states prohibit face veils in schools and public spaces, there is no nationwide ban on wearing them publicly.
In 2021, the EU’s highest court ruled against two Muslim women in Germany who were suspended from their jobs for wearing hijabs at work, saying employers may require employees not to wear religious clothing if they work in a job that deals with the public.
These measures have sparked debate over religious freedom and discrimination. Human Rights Watch campaigners have previously argued the restrictions could interfere with the rights of Muslim women in France.
However, governments argue they are essential for promoting open communication and safeguarding public order.
According to the 2021 UK Census, 6.5 percent of the population in England and Wales—around 3.9 million people—identified as Muslim. In response to high levels of anti-Muslim hate crime last year, the government established a working group to draft a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hatred or Islamophobia.
The group, which includes leading legal and community figures, is expected to present its recommendations by August 2025.
