The Portuguese Parliament has approved a bill banning the wearing of burkas and hijabs in public spaces based on gender or religion.
The measure, proposed by the far-right Chega party, targets full-body veils such as the burka (covering the entire body from head to toe) and the hijab (covering the face) in most public areas.
Exceptions will apply for airports, diplomatic premises, and places of worship.
The law stipulates fines ranging from €200 to €4,000. It now awaits signature by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who may ratify it, veto it back to Parliament, or refer it to the Constitutional Court for review.
If enacted, Portugal will join other European countries including Austria, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, which have imposed full or partial bans on face and head coverings.
Chega justified the bill by arguing that face coverings subject individuals, especially women, to exclusion and inferiority, claiming they conflict with principles such as freedom, equality, and human dignity.
Left-leaning lawmakers opposed the measure. Pedro Delgado Alves of the Socialist Party stated, “This initiative is used exclusively to target foreigners and people of different faiths.” He added that while no woman should be forced to wear a veil, the far-right approach was wrong.
