Portugal has approved a new face-covering ban, dubbed the “burqa law”, with those who breach it potentially facing fines of up to £2,500. On Monday, President António José Seguro signed into law a ban on face coverings in public spaces, including religious garments, designed to conceal the face or prevent identification.
Details of the new law
“The face must be considered a central element of human identity and communication,” President Antonio Jose Seguro said in a statement on Tuesday. It also bans forcing someone to cover their face for reasons related to gender, religion, age or origin. The law was initially proposed by the far-right Chega party.
Portugal has banned face coverings in public spaces. It was approved by the Portuguese parliament on July 17 with support from the governing Social Democratic Party (PSD), Chega, the Liberal Initiative (IL), and CDS-PP.
Penalties and exceptions
The legislation has been labelled the "burqa law" after the garment worn by some Muslim women to cover their bodies and faces. Under the new law, violators face fines ranging from €150 (£128) to €3,000 (£2,500). Exceptions are in place for circumstances such as health, professional, artistic, and weather-related reasons, as well as certain settings, including places of worship, diplomatic missions, and aircraft.
President Seguro said that the issue was one of "great social and cultural sensitivity" and described the decision as requiring a balance between rights and responsibilities. He also claimed that the law will help social integration, gender equality and security.
Reactions and backlash
The measure means Portugal has joined European countries such as Austria, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, which have full or partial bans on face and head coverings. The legislation has faced strong backlash from the left wing parties, which voted against the measure and human rights campaigners.
“This initiative is used solely to target foreigners, those who have a different faith,” said center-left Socialist party lawmaker Pedro Delgado Alves, whose party voted against the bill. The Executive Director of Amnesty International – Portugal, João Godinho Martins, called the law "discriminatory". He said: "Despite having removed direct references to Islam, which were a part of previous versions of the text, this new law clearly violates the human rights of Muslim women who choose to cover their faces. It is a direct threat to their freedom of expression and freedom of religion."
