European Country Imposes Burqa Ban with Fines Reaching £3,475

Portugal’s Parliament has passed a Bill banning all face veils worn in public for “gender or religious” reasons. The legislation, put forward by the far-right Chega party, would make it illegal to wear coverings like burqas and niqabs. (A burqa is a full-body piece of clothing that completely covers a woman from head to foot, while niqabs are veils that cover the face but leave space for the eyes.)

This change in Portugal would prohibit these pieces of clothing from being worn in most public spaces. Face veils however, would still be permitted on planes, at diplomatic environments, and in places of worship. According to the legislation, anyone found violating the ban could face some hefty fines ranging from £174 to £3,475 (€200 to €4,000).

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has yet to sign the Bill and may choose to get rid of it or send it to the Constitutional Court for examination.

If the Bill becomes law, Portugal would become one of several European countries, including Austria, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, to enforce full or partial bans on all face and head coverings.

While these coverings aren’t popular among Portuguese women, the debate over Islamic veils has stirred up contention similar to that seen across other European countries.

Chega pointed to the justifications used by France and other EU nations for prohibiting face coverings worn by Muslim women. The party gained support for the Bill from centre-right factions.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s ruling party, Brothers of Italy, has recently proposed legislation to ban the burqa and niqab, targeting what they describe as “cultural separatism.”

In the Bill, Chega stated that covering the face places individuals—particularly women—”to situations of exclusion and inferiority.” The Bill’s text added that this practice conflicts with factors such as “liberty, equality and human dignity.”

Exceptions apply when covering the face is “justified for health reasons or professional, artistic, entertainment or publicity reasons.”

Left-leaning politicians have raised objections to the legislation, and Pedro Delgado Alves’ Socialist Party voted against the Bill.

He stated that the legislation was being used to target foreigners and people of different faiths, adding that while no woman should be forced to wear a veil, the far-right party’s approach was misguided.

Chega leader André Ventura stated that anyone arriving in Portugal, regardless of their origin, customs, or religion, “must comply with, respect and ensure” that the country’s customs and values are upheld.