Austria Passes School Headscarf Ban for Girls Under 14

Austria’s parliament on Thursday approved, by an overwhelming majority, a new law prohibiting girls under the age of fourteen from wearing the Islamic headscarf in schools, a move that human rights groups and legal experts say is discriminatory and likely to deepen social divisions.

The law was proposed earlier this year by Austria’s conservative government, which has faced mounting pressure as anti-immigration sentiment rises across the country. Officials argue that the measure is intended to protect girls from what they describe as coercive social practices.

Austria previously enacted a headscarf ban in primary schools in 2019, but the Constitutional Court struck it down. The government maintains that the new legislation is constitutionally sound, though critics warn that it targets one religious group and could place children in a confusing and stigmatizing position.

The ban applies to all forms of Islamic head coverings that fully cover the hair in accordance with Islamic tradition. It covers every school in Austria and applies to all girls younger than fourteen.

Following Thursday’s debate, the opposition Green Party was the only parliamentary faction to vote against the measure.

Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm defended the proposal in parliament, arguing that requiring girls to cover their bodies to avoid male attention constitutes coercion rather than legitimate religious practice. She confirmed that the ban, which includes all forms of Islamic covering such as the burqa, will take full effect at the start of the new school year in September.

A trial period beginning in February will inform teachers, parents, and pupils about the new rules without penalties. Once fully enacted, repeat violations could result in fines of between €150 and €800 for parents. The government estimates that roughly 12,000 girls will be affected.

Human rights organizations condemned the legislation. Amnesty International described it as blatant discrimination against Muslim girls and an expression of anti-Muslim racism.

Austria’s far-right Freedom Party criticized the law for not going far enough and demanded that the ban be extended to all pupils, teachers, and school staff.