Portugal’s parliament voted Friday to approve a bill banning face veils worn for “gender or religious motives” in most public spaces, Reuters reported. The legislation, proposed by the right-wing Chega party, effectively targets burqas and niqabs worn by Muslim women.
The bill stipulates fines ranging from €200 to €4,000 for wearing face veils in public. Additionally, anyone found guilty of coercing another person to wear a face veil could face up to three years in prison.
Exceptions to the ban include airplanes, diplomatic premises, and places of worship.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa retains the authority to veto the bill or refer it to the Constitutional Court for review.
During the parliamentary debate, Chega party leader Andre Ventura defended the bill, stating, as quoted by Reuters, “We are today protecting female members of parliament, your daughters, our daughters, from having to use burqas in this country one day.”
The bill passed with support from the center-right coalition, despite vocal opposition from female lawmakers representing left-wing parties.
If signed into law, Portugal would join several other countries that have already enacted full or partial bans on face coverings.
France in 2010 became the first country to do so, when it approved a law banning the wearing of the burqa or niqab in public spaces by a vote of 335 to 1.
A parliamentary committee in Belgium voted to ban the burqa that year. Italy later drafted a similar law.
In 2018, Denmark approved a ban on garments that cover the face, including Islamic veils such as the niqab or burqa.
In 2019, Austria introduced a law which banned the headscarf in primary schools. However, Austria's constitutional court later struck down the law.
In 2021, Swiss voters narrowly backed a ban on full face coverings in public places.