Vox will submit an institutional declaration to the Alicante City Council plenary session on 26 February seeking to ban the wearing of burkas, niqabs and any garments that fully or partially cover the face in municipal buildings and services.
The party argues the measure is necessary for security, visual identification and the proper functioning of public services, and claims full-face veils symbolise the subjugation of women. The ban would apply regardless of the wearer’s origin or motivation, with exemptions only for verified medical reasons.
The proposal mirrors a broader national initiative by Vox to prohibit full-face veils in public spaces, currently being debated in Congress with initial support from the People’s Party (PP), though the Alicante measure would be limited to the municipal level. Locally, Vox is focusing on in-person procedures that require facial identification, a stance likely to prompt debate over the scope, enforcement and legal limits of such a ban.
The move comes amid strained local politics, with Vox pressing symbolic issues while remaining silent on the fallout from the Les Naus scandal and the future of Mayor Luis Barcala. The proposal is expected to sharpen tensions in the plenary session, as opposition parties question its necessity and political motives, while Vox frames the issue as one of coexistence, identity and respect for municipal rules.
