LISBON: Portugal’s parliament has approved a controversial bill proposed by the far-right Chega party to ban face veils worn for “gender or religious motives” in most public spaces, a move widely seen as targeting Muslim women who wear burqas or niqabs.
Under the bill, passed on Friday, those found wearing face-covering veils in public could face fines ranging from €200 to €4,000 ($234–$4,670). Forcing someone to wear a veil would carry prison sentences of up to three years.
Exceptions would apply in airplanes, diplomatic facilities, and places of worship.
The legislation will now be reviewed by the parliamentary committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms, and Guarantees to assess its compatibility with Portugal’s constitution.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa retains the power to veto the bill or refer it to the Constitutional Court for legal scrutiny.
Chega leader André Ventura, who pushed the measure through with support from the centre-right coalition, described the decision as “a historic day for democracy and for the safeguarding of our values, our identity, and women’s rights.”
“We are protecting female members of parliament, your daughters, our daughters, from having to use burqas in this country one day,” Ventura told lawmakers during the heated session.
Several left-wing female MPs vocally opposed the bill, calling it discriminatory. Two smaller parties — People–Animals–Nature and Together for the People — abstained from voting, citing concerns about religious freedom and gender discrimination.
Though face veils are extremely rare in Portugal, the issue has long divided European countries. If enacted, Portugal would join France, Belgium, Austria, and the Netherlands, which have imposed full or partial bans on face coverings in public.
