Fines up to €3,000: Portugal bans wearing burqa in public spaces

Portugal's president signed a law banning face-covering garments in public spaces, with exceptions for health, professional, artistic, and climatic reasons. The law, promoted by the nationalist right, sets fines ranging from €150 to €3,000. Portugal joins France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Denmark in similar restrictions.

Portugal's President António José Seguro signed a law banning the wearing of burqa and niqab in public spaces, calling it the "Portuguese burqa law." The law, promoted by the nationalist right and adopted in parliament with the votes of the right-wing coalition and the far right, sets fines ranging from €150 to €3,000 for violators. The president justified the decision by stating that "the face should be treated as a central component of identity and human communication," while acknowledging the social and cultural sensitivity of the issue. The law includes exceptions for health, professional, artistic, and climatic circumstances, as well as for places of religious worship, diplomatic missions, and aircraft. Human rights activists and left-wing parties opposed it, arguing that the ban infringes on women's rights and dictates what they should wear, but their arguments were rejected. Portugal joins France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Denmark, which have already imposed similar restrictions on grounds of public security, personal identification, and preserving the values of the secular state.