Portugal passes law banning face coverings, sparking human rights concerns.

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On 17 July 2026, Portugal’s Parliament approved a law banning face coverings in public spaces, a measure that human rights organisations say will disproportionately harm Muslim women who choose to wear the niqab or burqa. Following the vote, the Executive Director of Amnesty International – Portugal, João Godinho Martins, said the law “is discriminatory and is a threat to human rights”, adding that even though direct references to Islam were removed from earlier drafts, the text still targets Muslim women who cover their faces as part of their religious practice.

The law was originally proposed by the far-right Chega party, which won a wave of support last year partly on anti-immigrant rhetoric. According to Macao News, the original bill would have prohibited full-face coverings such as burqas and niqabs from most public places, allowing exceptions only for planes, diplomatic premises and places of worship. Early versions even included prison sentences of up to three years for anyone who forced another person to wear a veil. The final text, reported by Portugal Resident, dropped the prison penalty in favour of administrative fines ranging from €150 to €750 for unintentional violations, and €400 to €3,000 for intentional ones. Chega’s leader, André Ventura, defended the ban during debates by describing Islam as “a culture that oppresses women”, a characterisation that rights groups argue fuels broader stigma against Muslim communities in Portugal, not just against the small number of women who wear full-face veils.

Amnesty International argues the justification doesn’t hold up. The organisation points out that Portuguese law already allows police to require people to show their faces during identity checks, border control or security operations, meaning the new law adds little practical power for law enforcement while creating a blanket restriction on religious expression. As Amnesty explained, “the State should neither impose nor prohibit clothing choices linked to identity, religion and/or personal beliefs”, Portugal Resident reported. The group also warned that banning face coverings entirely could backfire on the very women it claims to protect, potentially pushing them into greater isolation and making it harder for them to access education, jobs and public services, a concern also detailed in Amnesty’s original statement.

This isn’t Portugal’s first attempt at such a ban. As The Portugal News reported, an earlier version of the bill was first passed on 17 October 2025 but faced pushback over concerns it might violate Articles 37 and 41 of the Portuguese Constitution, which protect freedom of expression and religion. Amnesty has said it has opposed similar bans across Europe since 2010, including in Belgium, France, Denmark, Bulgaria and Switzerland. If Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, signs the bill, the country would join more than 20 European nations with similar restrictions, according to Macao News.

For now, the law’s fate rests with the president, who could either approve it, veto it, or send it to Portugal’s Constitutional Court for a legal review. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, are urging the government to reconsider the ban altogether, arguing that protecting women’s rights should never come at the cost of restricting their freedom to choose how they dress, practice their faith, and participate in public life.

written by Clarissa Battistella