Lleida bans full-face coverings in public spaces

Lleida's city parliament in northeastern Spain voted 16-11 on September 25 to ban full-face coverings in most public spaces, in a measure targeting garments including the burqa and niqab.

The amended municipal law bars people from remaining in or moving through public spaces with items that fully cover the face. It does not explicitly name the burqa or niqab, and it includes exceptions linked to basic rights, places of worship and customs or uses that are socially accepted.

People who break the new law will face fines. The amount of the fines was not specified.

Lleida, a provincial capital in Catalonia with about 150,000 residents, previously banned full-face veils in some public spaces in 2010. Spain's Supreme Court annulled that measure in 2013, ruling that it infringed religious freedom and exceeded local authority powers.

Spain has no national law banning or restricting the burqa or niqab. The burqa covers the head and body, while the niqab covers the face but leaves the eyes visible.

The city hall said the Catalan Socialist party joined Vox and Junts to pass the measure. Lleida's Socialist mayor, Felix Larrosa, told the municipal parliament that living together means respecting rules.