Portugal has enacted a new law banning most face coverings in public, adding the country to a growing list of European nations that restrict garments such as the burka and niqab.
President António José Seguro signed the measure after it was adopted in Lisbon in July with support from a right-wing governing coalition, according to GB News.
Although frequently described as Portugal’s “burka law,” the legislation does not expressly single out Islam. Instead, it prohibits clothing intended to conceal or obstruct a person’s face in public.
Violations can result in fines ranging from €150 to €3,000.
The law takes a tougher approach toward anyone who forces another person to conceal his or her face. Such conduct can carry a prison sentence of up to three years.
There are several exceptions. Face coverings remain permissible for professional and health purposes as well as certain artistic, advertising and entertainment activities.
The restrictions also do not apply in places of worship or at holy sites. Aircraft and certain diplomatic and consular circumstances are similarly exempt.
Those distinctions have not stopped human-rights organizations from arguing that Muslim women who wear full-face veils will bear the practical consequences of the legislation.
João Godinho Martins, executive director of Amnesty International in Portugal, called the measure “a threat to human rights.”
“Despite having removed direct references to Islam, which were a part of previous versions of the text, this new law clearly violates the human rights of Muslim women who choose to cover their faces,” Martins said. “It is a direct threat to their freedom of expression and freedom of religion.”
He argued that women who choose full-face coverings could become more isolated if they must choose between removing the garment and withdrawing from public activities.
“Women who choose to wear full-face veils may face greater exclusion from public life, social isolation or increased difficulties in accessing education, employment and public services,” Martins said.
Portugal is far from the first European country to legislate on the issue.
According to the Express, 24 other countries have imposed burka or face-covering restrictions of some kind. European countries with such measures include France, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway and Luxembourg, though the scope and legal structure of their restrictions differ.