Burqa ban passes in parliament as Amnesty International warns of rights violations

Portugal’s parliament has given final approval to legislation banning the concealment of faces in public spaces, with the governing Social Democratic Party (PSD), CHEGA, Iniciativa Liberal (IL) and CDS-PP voting in favour, despite strong opposition from left-wing parties, and a warning from Amnesty International Portugal that the measure breaches fundamental human rights.

The legislation, widely referred to as the “burqa law”, originated with far-right CHEGA but was substantially amended during negotiations with the PSD to emphasise public security and public order rather than religion.

Following the final vote, CHEGA MPs stood and applauded the passage of the bill, while PAN MP Inês de Sousa Real abstained.

The legislation now awaits promulgation by President António José Seguro before it can become law.

The original CHEGA proposal, approved in principle in October 2025, remained stalled for around eight months before returning to parliament for detailed scrutiny.

During committee negotiations, the PSD insisted on changes designed to reduce the risk of constitutional challenges – particularly concerning freedom of religion.

As a result, the final text no longer refers specifically to Islamic garments. Instead, it prohibits face coverings in public spaces “for reasons of security and public order”, covering burqas, niqabs, masks, balaclavas and other forms of facial concealment, subject to specified exceptions.

The revised legislation also broadens protections against forcing someone to conceal their face – adding age and origin to existing protections based on gender and religion.

CHEGA also dropped earlier proposals that would have criminalised forcing someone to wear a face covering with prison sentences of up to three years. Instead, the final version establishes administrative fines ranging from €150 to €750 in cases of negligence and from €400 to €3,000 for intentional violations.

Amnesty International Portugal has condemned the legislation, arguing that despite the removal of explicit references to Islam, it will disproportionately affect Muslim women who choose to wear the full-face veil.

The organisation said the measure is discriminatory and incompatible with international human rights protections covering freedom of religion, conscience and expression.

“The state should neither impose nor prohibit clothing choices linked to identity, religion and/ or personal beliefs,” said Amnesty, warning that a general ban could undermine rather than advance women’s rights.

The organisation also criticised provisions extending the face-covering ban to public demonstrations.

It argued that international human rights standards recognise that protesters may legitimately cover their faces to avoid reprisals, protect their identity and/ or shield themselves from tear gas, adding that concealing one’s face should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of violent or criminal intent.

Amnesty further questions the government’s public security justification, arguing that Portuguese law already gives police broad powers to require individuals to identify themselves during security operations, identity checks or when entering certain premises.

In the organisation’s view, the new legislation provides few additional practical powers for law enforcement.

Amnesty notes that it has opposed similar face-covering bans introduced elsewhere in Europe since 2010, including in Belgium, France, Denmark, Bulgaria and Switzerland, arguing that such measures have increased discrimination against Muslim women while contributing to greater political and social polarisation.

Supporters of the Portuguese legislation, however, argue that the revised text is a security measure of general application rather than a law targeting any particular religion.

source: noticiasaominuto/ Executive Digest