A Moroccan man who refused to shake hands with a French female official and whose wife wears the full Islamic veil has been denied French citizenship, the immigration ministry said Friday.

The man, who has been living in France since 1999 and married a French woman in 2004, failed to "assimilate into French society" and displayed a "discriminatory attitude toward women," said the ministry.

He "refused to shake the hand of a female official whom he met at the state prefecture because it was 'against his religion'", said a statement.

The man's wife wore the full veil and only agreed to uncover herself in a room where no men would be present, the statement added.

The decision was announced a few days before the National Assembly is to vote on a bill banning the full-face Islamic veil as part of what the government has described as an effort to assert French values.