Veiled Muslim women barred from entering France

London, June 13 (IANS) Three Saudi women were barred from entering France for refusing to remove their face veils, it was reported here Wednesday.

A 2011 French law bans people from wearing Islamic face-covering veils anywhere in public.

French police asked the women to remove their veils when they arrived at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport Monday on a flight from Doha.

However, when the women refused, the authorities refused them entry. The women returned to Doha Tuesday night, Daily Mail reported.

Supporters of the ban say the veil contradicts France's principles of secularism and women's rights. Some Muslim groups say it stigmatises moderate Muslims.

Nicolas Sarkozy's government introduced a ban on all forms of Islamic head coverings, including the niqab and the burka, last year.