Eastern Costa del Sol town hall votes to ban burkas inside municipal buildings

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Councillors in Rincón de la Victoria voted in favour of the proposal which was brought by the right-wing VOX party and supported by the Partido Popular (PP) but rejected by the socialist PSOE party

José Rodríguez Cámara

Monday, 2 March 2026, 14:07

Rincón de la Victoria town hall on the eastern Costa del Sol has approved the right-wing political party Vox's proposal to "regulate access to municipal buildings when the face is completely covered by a niqab, burka, or other equivalent garments."

The initiative, which prohibits the use of these items of clothing, received the support of the Popular Party (PP), which holds an absolute majority in the town hall and was met with total rejection from the socialist (PSOE) and Con Rincón parties

At the close of the debate, the mayor, who is also president of the provincial authority the Diputación de Málaga, Francisco Salado, took the floor, despite having been advised against it due to the "sensitive" nature of the issue.

“Vox’s mistake is presenting this issue as a security matter and not as what this motion truly addresses: women’s fundamental rights,” Salado clarified, adding that he assumed the Local Police can already ask anyone with their face covered to identify themselves, simply by applying current legislation.

“It’s degrading, and the left should support its condemnation and prohibition,” insisted the mayor, who admitted feeling disappointed with the stance taken by the PSOE and Con Rincón. “I cannot allow, even for religious reasons, a prison made of cloth. Freedom and culture can become unbearable when it comes to fundamental rights,” Salado concluded.

The PSOE's secretary for equality and councillor for Rincón de la Victoria, Yolanda Florido, criticized Vox, arguing that their proposal "seeks to generate social alarm" and is merely an excuse "to violate individual freedom and fuel Islamophobia," although they also expressed their opposition to the niqab and the burka.

"The only thing that motivates them is anger and hatred," Rosa María Ramada, of Con Rincón, directed at Vox, also calling the request, which was ultimately approved, "ridiculous." Like the socialists, this group believed that equipping the town hall buildings with features such as a scanner would be useful for improving security.

During the council meeting, a proposal for International Women's Day, promoting equality, was also addressed. The two Vox councillors in Rincón de la Victoria town hall voted against it, voting alone.