Portugal has approved a bill proposed by the far-right Chega party to ban face veils used for "gender or religious motives" in most public spaces, specifically targeting burqas and niqabs worn by Muslim women.
According to the bill, which was approved by parliament on Friday, proposed fines for wearing face veils in public would range from 200 to 4,000 euros ($234 to $4,670). Forcing someone to wear one would result in prison sentences of up to three years.
Face veils would still be permitted on airplanes, diplomatic facilities, and places of worship.
According to local media reports, the bill will now be discussed by the parliamentary committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms, and Guarantees, which is in charge of reviewing constitutional legislation.
If signed into law, Portugal would join European countries such as France, Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands that already have full or partial bans.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa can still veto the bill or refer it to the Constitutional Court for review.
During Friday's parliamentary session, Chega leader Andre Ventura was confronted by several female left-wing lawmakers who opposed the bill, but it passed with the support of the centre-right coalition.
"We are today protecting female members of parliament, your daughters, our daughters, from having to use burqas in this country one day," Ventura told lawmakers.
In a posting to X, he said: "Today is a historic day for our democracy and for the safeguarding of our values, our identity and women's rights."
Before the vote, Andreia Neto, a lawmaker from the ruling Social Democratic Party, stated: "This is a debate about gender equality." "No woman should be forced to cover her face."
According to local media reports, two of the 10 parties in parliament abstained from voting: the People-Animals-Nature party and the Together for the People party.
The parties claim that the proposal incited discrimination.
Only a small percentage of Muslim women in Europe cover their faces, and such veils are extremely rare in Portugal.
However, full-face coverings such as niqabs and burqas have become a divisive issue in Europe, with some arguing that they symbolise gender discrimination or pose a security risk and should be banned.
