Overview

• Lawmakers approved a bill to bar burqas and niqabs in most public spaces when worn for gender or religious reasons.
• Violations would draw fines ranging from €200 to €4,000, and coercing someone to veil could bring prison terms of up to three years.
• The text allows face coverings on airplanes, in diplomatic premises and in places of worship.
• Proposed by the far‑right Chega party, the measure passed with support from center‑right lawmakers over opposition from left‑wing MPs.
• President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa can sign the bill, veto it, or refer it to the Constitutional Court, as supporters frame it as protecting women and critics warn it targets a small minority and risks discrimination.