On October 17, 2025, the Portuguese Parliament approved a controversial law banning the wearing of face coverings equivalent to the burqa and niqab in public spaces.
The laws has sparked strong reactions across the political spectrum and amongst civil society groups.
While supporters hail it as a step toward protecting women’s rights and ensuring public safety, critics say it discriminates against Muslim women and reflects a disturbing trend in populist politics within the country.
Scope and content of the bill
The bill prohibits the wearing of face coverings for religious or gender-based reasons in public places, including on the streets, in public buildings and on transportation.
This applies specifically to items of clothing equivalent to the burqa and niqab, which partially or completely cover the face, making identification difficult.
Violators could also be fined between 200 and 4,000 euros. In more serious cases, e.g. being forced to wear such clothing, a jail sentence of up to a few years could also be imposed.
The law allows exceptions in certain situations, including on airplanes, in diplomatic missions and through religious ceremonies held at places of worship.
Supporters argue that these exceptions protect religious freedom in private or controlled environments while ensuring that the general public sphere stays open, transparent and protected.
Political support and parliamentary debate
The law was passed with the support of right-wing and centrist parties, including the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Iniciativa Liberal (IL) and CDS – People’s Party (CDS-PP), in addition to the sponsoring Chega party.
Left-wing parties, including the Socialist Party (PS), Left Bloc (BE) and Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), voted against it, citing concerns about religious freedom and the stigmatization of Muslim women. Two smaller parties abstained from voting.
Chega leader André Ventura framed the bill as a defense of secularism and girls’s rights, arguing that no woman in Portugal must be forced to cover her face.
However, opponents in parliament argued that the bill addressed a virtually non-existent problem, as only a few women in Portugal wear the burqa or niqab. They accused Chega of using the problem to advertise anti-Muslim sentiment and distract from more pressing social challenges.
Social context and reactions
Portugal has a comparatively small Muslim population, and even fewer women wear full-face coverings. The practical impact of the bill is due to this fact expected to be minimal.
Nevertheless, the symbolic weight of the laws is important. Muslim leaders and human rights groups have expressed concern that the measure could promote exclusion, deepen cultural divisions and stigmatize religious minorities.
Some members of the Muslim community identified that Islam doesn’t mandate covering the face and that individual women must have the precise to decide on what they wear.
Others see the law as an unnecessary interference with personal and spiritual freedoms, especially when there isn’t any evidence of widespread coercion or public safety risks related to face veils in Portugal.
Next steps
Although the bill has been approved by parliament, it still requires the formal signature of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa before it enters into force.
The president has several options: he can sign the law, veto it and return it to parliament, or refer it to the Constitutional Court, which can assess its compliance with the Portuguese structure.
Legal experts have already expressed concerns that the bill may violate constitutional protections for freedom of faith and expression. If challenged, the Constitutional Tribunal may rule that the ban violates individual rights, especially when there isn’t any obvious public harm or necessity.
The latest European country to achieve this
If the law enters into force, Portugal will join quite a lot of European countries which have adopted similar restrictions, including: France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria.
These laws often face criticism each at home and abroad, especially from human rights groups, which say such bans disproportionately affect Muslim women and will violate international law.
However, supporters argue that these laws promote inclusion, gender equality and secularism, ensuring that the general public sphere stays inclusive and recognizable.
Time will tell whether the Portuguese version of the ban will likely be subject to legal evaluation and gain wider public support.
