Portugal has enacted a law banning all face coverings in public spaces, including Muslim women's full-face veils, or burkas."The burka law," as EuroNews reports, was implemented by Portugal's President, António Jose Seguro, and could fine those wearing the covering in public €150 ($240) to €3,000 ($4,800)."The face must be considered a central element of human identity and communication," stated Seguro.Seguro described the issue as being "a matter of great social and cultural sensitivity, where defining boundaries and striking a balanced outcome between rights and duties is extremely difficult.".The legislation was approved in Portugal's parliament in July; the ruling right-wing coalition approved the law while the left-wing parties opposed it. It was officially meant to prohibit any kinds of clothing designed to conceal the face or prevent identification in public.It also prohibits forcing someone to cover their face for reasons related to gender, religion, age or origin.Reported by the Telegraph, exemptions will be made for health, professional, artistic or weather-related reasons, as well as wearing them at places of worship, diplomatic missions and on aircraft..In his comments, Seguro added that an uncovered face in public is "a structural pillar of social trust, characteristic of Portuguese society."Similar laws have been adopted by other countries in Europe.France was the first to do so, adopting a law back in 2011, banning full face coverings in public — the first to do so in all of Europe.Belgium introduced a similar law that same year, Bulgaria followed in 2016, and Austria that same year. .Austria also approved a law last year banning "the headscarf that covers the head in accordance with Islamic tradition" for girls under 14 in schools.Luxembourg and Denmark banned face coverings in public in 2018, while in 2019, the Netherlands restricted coverings in certain public spaces such as schools, hospitals, and public transport.
