Portugal’s parliament has voted to ban face veils worn for “gender or religious” purposes in public spaces, with violators facing fines of up to €4,000 (£3,475).
The legislation, proposed by the right-wing Chega party, targets the burka, a full-body garment covering women from head to foot, and the niqab, a full-face Islamic veil with an opening for the eyes.
The garments would still be permitted in aeroplanes, places of worship and during diplomatic proceedings under exemptions built into the law.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is expected to approve the bill, though he retains the power to veto it or refer it to the Constitutional Court for review before it becomes law.
Portugal Joins Growing List of European Countries with Veil Bans
If signed into law, Portugal will join a series of European nations including Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and France that have implemented full or partial bans on face and head coverings.
The move comes despite relatively few women in Portugal wearing such garments, suggesting the legislation is more symbolic than addressing a widespread practice.
However, the issue of Islamic veils has created significant controversies across Europe in recent years, with several governments citing concerns about security, integration and women’s rights.
Italy Moves Towards Similar Ban
Italy appears poised to follow Portugal’s lead, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calling for a burka ban as part of efforts to crack down on what she terms “Islamic separatism”.
Her party, the Brothers of Italy (FdI), has tabled legislation to fine anyone wearing the garments in schools, universities, shops and offices more than £2,500.
Meloni commands a coalition government with a substantial majority, and the bill, proposed only on Wednesday, is anticipated to pass through parliament.
The FdI has framed the legislation as combating “Islamic separatism, religious radicalisation and religiously motivated hatred”.
In a statement, the party declared: “The law against Islamic separatism represents a necessary step to protect Italian identity, the safety of citizens, and the freedom of women.”
Italian Government Frames Ban as Constitutional Protection
The Brothers of Italy insisted the measure was not about restricting religious freedom but preventing its exploitation to justify practices incompatible with Italian constitutional principles.
“It’s not about limiting religious freedom, but about preventing it from being exploited to justify practices incompatible with the principles of our constitution and our society,” the statement read.
The party continued: “We want to intervene against Islamic separatism, a phenomenon manifested through the creation of enclaves where sharia law prevails over Italian law.”
Whilst acknowledging Italy has not reached the same level of concern as France, the FdI warned that “worrying signs are beginning to emerge in Italy too”.
The reference to France likely alludes to ongoing debates about integration and secularism in that country, which has Europe’s largest Muslim population and has grappled with questions about religious expression in public life for decades.
Debate Reaches UK Shores
The issue has also sparked discussion in Britain, with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage previously describing the burka as “anti-British” and calling for a national debate on banning face coverings.
“This is about priorities. You know, I don’t like to see the burka,” Farage said. “It probably is anti-British in the sense that […] I don’t know if they’re being forced to cover up.”
Reform MP Sarah Pochin has gone further, infamously calling for an outright ban on the burka in “the interest of public safety.
However, successive British governments have resisted implementing such restrictions, with concerns about religious freedom and civil liberties preventing similar legislation from gaining traction in Westminster.
Balancing Religious Freedom and National Identity
The spread of burka and niqab bans across Europe highlights deepening tensions between religious freedom, women’s rights and national identity in countries with growing Muslim populations.
Proponents of such bans argue they promote integration, protect women from coercion, enhance security by allowing facial identification, and defend secular values against what they perceive as religious extremism.
Critics counter that the legislation represents discriminatory targeting of Muslim women, infringes on religious liberty, and paradoxically restricts the very freedoms it claims to protect by telling women what they cannot wear.
Human rights organisations have consistently opposed such bans, arguing they disproportionately affect Muslim women and can lead to their further marginalisation and exclusion from public life.
Few Portuguese Women Affected
The practical impact of Portugal’s ban is likely to be limited, given the small number of women in the country who wear full-face veils.
This has led some observers to suggest the legislation is primarily symbolic, designed to appeal to voters concerned about immigration and cultural change rather than addressing a genuine widespread issue.
Portugal has a relatively small Muslim population compared to other Western European nations, with estimates suggesting Muslims comprise less than one per cent of the total population.
The Muslim community in Portugal is largely composed of immigrants from former Portuguese colonies in Africa, particularly Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique, as well as more recent arrivals from North Africa and the Middle East.
European Patchwork of Restrictions
The approach to Islamic dress varies significantly across Europe, creating a patchwork of different legal frameworks.
France was the first European country to ban face-covering veils in public spaces in 2011, followed by Belgium the same year. The Netherlands implemented a partial ban in 2019 covering government buildings, public transport, schools and hospitals.
Austria introduced its ban in 2017, whilst Denmark followed in 2018. Several other countries, including Germany and Spain, have implemented localised or partial restrictions rather than nationwide prohibitions.
Switzerland voted in a 2021 referendum to ban face coverings in public, though the measure included exemptions for health, safety and weather-related reasons.
Legal Challenges and Court Rulings
Such bans have faced legal challenges across Europe, with mixed results in various courts.
The European Court of Human Rights has generally upheld national bans, ruling they do not violate the European Convention on Human Rights, though judges have been divided on the issue.
Critics argue the rulings prioritise nebulous concepts of national cohesion and security over concrete protections for religious minorities and individual liberty.
As Portugal prepares to implement its ban and Italy moves towards similar legislation, the debate over Islamic dress in Europe shows no signs of abating, with competing visions of integration, secularism and religious freedom continuing to clash across the continent.
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Image Credit:
Burqa-clad women buying at a market (Afghanistan) — photo by Jan Chipchase / IMTFI, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
