Did Remark or any country implement a ban on burqas recently?
Executive summary
Recent reporting shows both new bans and high-profile political stunts related to the burqa in late 2025: Portugal’s parliament approved a law on October 17, 2025, banning face veils including burqas and niqabs in most public places if signed into law [1], and Australia saw Senator Pauline Hanson wear a burqa in the Senate on Nov. 24, 2025 — a protest to push for a national ban; the bill was not voted on and Hanson was suspended [2] [3]. Other countries implemented or reinforced restrictions earlier in 2025 (e.g., Kazakhstan, Switzerland) but coverage varies by source [4] [5].
1. Portugal’s parliamentary vote: a new national ban approved by lawmakers
Portugal’s parliament voted on October 17, 2025, to approve a bill proposed by the far-right Chega party that would ban face veils such as the burqa and niqab in most public places and make violations punishable by fines; reporting frames the measure as explicitly targeting coverings worn for “gender or religious” reasons [1]. The Guardian describes the measure as part of a wider European pattern of similar laws and notes the sponsor’s political motives and comparisons with France [1].
2. Australia: stunt, suspension and an unvoted bill
In Canberra on Nov. 24, 2025, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson entered the Senate wearing a burqa as a prop to press for legislation to outlaw burqas and other full-face coverings in public; senators suspended proceedings and she was later suspended from the Senate for seven sitting days [3]. The New York Times and Reuters report that Hanson’s bill to ban the garment in public was not voted on at that time [2] [6], and mainstream outlets recorded strong criticism from Muslim lawmakers and public figures [7] [8].
3. Where bans were already changing in 2025: Switzerland and Kazakhstan cited
Multiple summaries note that Switzerland’s national ban on face coverings took effect on January 1, 2025, after voters approved an initiative in 2021 and parliament implemented it into law [5]. Separate entries say Kazakhstan officially banned the burqa and niqab on July 1, 2025 [4]. These items illustrate that changes earlier in 2025 expanded the list of countries with legal restrictions on full-face coverings [5] [4].
4. How many countries — and why answers vary
Compilations differ on a single count: some sources list “over 20” or at least 16 countries with bans or partial bans, others count around two dozen, reflecting differences in definitions (full nationwide bans vs. partial/local restrictions or rules applying to public buildings) [9] [10] [11]. Encyclopedic and journalistic sources caution that “ban” can mean anything from a national blanket prohibition to a targeted rule for schools, courts, or specific regions [11] [12].
5. Political drivers and competing narratives
Coverage shows two dominant frames: proponents cite security, identification, secularism, or gender‑equality rationales [13] [14], while critics and civil‑liberties advocates argue bans target Muslim women and curtail religious freedom; Portugal’s measure is explicitly linked to the far‑right Chega party’s agenda, which critics say targets Muslim women [1]. In Australia, Hanson’s stunt was widely described as performative and racist by opponents, even as she argued national security and consistency with other venues’ clothing policies [3] [7].
6. What sources do not say / limits of current reporting
Available sources do not mention whether Portugal’s parliamentary approval had yet been enacted into law with final presidential signature or subsequent legal challenges in the immediate reporting cited here [1]. Available sources do not provide comprehensive, consistently updated global tallies that distinguish local from national bans — counts vary across encyclopedias and news outlets depending on definitions and publication dates [11] [10].
7. Bottom line for the original question
Yes — recent developments include Portugal’s parliamentary approval of a ban on face veils (including burqas) on Oct. 17, 2025 [1], and several countries implemented or enforced bans earlier in 2025 such as Switzerland (effective Jan. 1, 2025) and Kazakhstan (July 1, 2025) according to the sources provided [5] [4]. Separately, no national ban in Australia passed — the high‑profile incident there was a senator’s protest inside Parliament and the proposed bill was not voted on [2] [3].