The Spanish city of Lleida has approved a ban on full-face coverings in most public spaces, a measure that will affect the wearing of Muslim garments such as the burqa and niqab.
The city parliament voted 16-11 on Friday to amend its municipal civility ordinance, prohibiting people from remaining in or moving through public spaces with clothing or other items that completely cover the face.
The ordinance does not explicitly name the burqa or niqab. However, the wording covers garments that fully conceal the face and is expected to apply directly to the two forms of Islamic dress.
The measure includes exceptions for circumstances involving the exercise of fundamental rights, places of worship and certain customs or uses recognised as socially accepted. Violations will attract fines, with reports from local media putting the lowest penalties at €400.
Lleida, a provincial capital in Catalonia with a population of about 150,000, previously introduced restrictions on full-face veils in some public spaces in 2010.
That earlier measure was later annulled by Spain’s Supreme Court in 2013 following a legal challenge by a Muslim association. The court found that the local ban infringed religious freedom and exceeded the authority of the municipality. Similar measures adopted by other municipalities were also cancelled.
Spain does not currently have a national ban on the burqa or niqab, unlike some European countries that have introduced restrictions on full-face coverings.
The latest Lleida ordinance was approved by an unusual alliance involving the governing Catalan Socialist Party, Junts and Vox. Junts had previously indicated its support after reaching an agreement with the governing party, while Vox had also announced that it would back the measure.
Lleida Mayor Félix Larrosa defended the measure during the municipal debate.
“Living together means respecting one another, and respecting one another also means following the rules,” he said.
The new regulation revives a debate that has previously reached Spain’s highest court, with its legality likely to remain closely watched following the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling on the city’s earlier restrictions.
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