Burqa husband denied nationality

A MAN who admitted making his wife wear a burqa in public is to have his request to gain French nationality turned down.

Immigration Minister Eric Besson has signed a ministerial decree and asked Prime Minister François Fillon to countersign it blocking the man’s application for French nationality.

Mr Besson said the unnamed man had told immigration officers during an interview that he insisted his French wife wear the full Islamic dress outside the home.

It is claimed the applicant also voiced strong opinions in the interview about the French secular state and opposed the idea of equality between men and women.

A foreign citizen who marries a French national can acquire their spouse’s nationality, subject to an enquiry by immigration officers, who will check the applicant’s spoken language and “good integration into French society”.

An application can be refused if someone “refuses to adhere to Republican values or represents a threat to these values”.

Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux suggested in December that women who wear the burqa should not be allowed a French resident’s permit. A law proposing to ban the garment in certain public places is being debated in parliament.

According to government figures, almost 110,000 people acquired French nationality last year.