Portugal has enacted a controversial law banning face-covering garments in public, a measure widely viewed as targeting the burqa and niqab worn by some Muslim women.
The legislation, backed by the governing right-wing coalition and far-right lawmakers, has drawn concerns over religious and women’s rights.
President António José Seguro signed the legislation into law on Tuesday, August 18, saying that “the face must be considered a central element of human identity and communication.”
The legislation was approved by Portugal’s parliament in July. It received support from the right-wing governing coalition and far-right parties, while left-wing parties voted against it.
Local media have referred to the legislation as the “burqa law,” referring to the full-body garment that covers the face and is worn by some Muslim women.
The law prohibits clothing designed to conceal a person's face or prevent identification in public spaces. It also bans forcing another person to cover their face for reasons linked to gender, religion, age or origin.
Fines of up to €3,000
People who violate the new restrictions can face fines ranging from €150 to €3,000.
The law includes several exemptions. Face-covering garments can be permitted for health, professional, artistic and weather-related reasons, as well as inside places of worship, diplomatic missions and on airplanes.
Seguro acknowledged the sensitivity surrounding the legislation, describing the issue as one of “great social and cultural sensitivity.”
Rights groups raise concerns
Rights campaigners have long argued that laws restricting face veils can also undermine women's rights by determining what women can and cannot wear.
The debate therefore extends beyond public identification and security concerns, touching on religious freedom, personal autonomy and the rights of Muslim women.
The Portuguese legislation has also emerged amid similar debates elsewhere in Europe.
Spain's Balearic Islands consider similar ban
In Spain, the government of the Balearic Islands is considering a total ban on burqas and niqabs in public spaces.
The proposal was initially put forward by the right-wing Vox party and the People's Party (PP). Opposition parties including PSIB, MES per Mallorca, MES per Menorca and Unidas Podemos voted against the initiative.
Vox has proposed fines of up to £25,000 for people who repeatedly wear the garments or impose their use on minors or women under guardianship.
The party has also proposed prison sentences of up to four years for anyone who forces, intimidates or coerces a woman into wearing the coverings. Foreign nationals who repeatedly commit the offence could also face expulsion under the proposal.
Vox says measure about identity and security
Vox lawmaker Manuela Cañadas defended the initiative, arguing that normalising the garments would represent what she described as a “medieval regression” in the 21st century.
She said preserving identity, culture and customs should be a priority and argued that Islamic practices she considers degrading to women should have no place in Spanish society.
Cañadas described the veil as a means of erasing a woman's identity and associated it with submission and subjugation. She also criticised left-wing parties that opposed the proposal, accusing them of being “hypocrites and fake feminists.”
She further argued that banning burqas and niqabs in public spaces would not constitute discrimination but would instead be a measure related to public order and national security.
Spain's conservative party backs restrictions
PP deputy Cristina Gil echoed several of Vox's arguments, saying her party had opposed the burqa and niqab for years on the grounds that they undermine women's dignity.
Gil maintained that the proposed legislation would not restrict religious freedom but would instead limit a practice that, in her view, makes women invisible.
She also accused the political left of denying women what she called the “right to exist,” arguing that fully veiled women should not be kept hidden from society.
The developments in Portugal and Spain highlight a wider European debate over face-covering garments, balancing public identification and security concerns with religious freedom, women's autonomy and individual rights.
