British family humiliated after being removed from pool because burkinis were 'against Portuguese culture'

A British family say they were left ‘humiliated’ after being ordered to leave a holiday resort swimming pool because they were wearing burkinis.

Maryya Dean, 36, said she was forced to perform a ‘walk of shame’ with her nine-year-old daughter and her sister-in-law Hina, 31, by an irate member of staff at a Portuguese holiday complex in the Algarve.

The family were relaxing by the private pool at their rented apartment complex in Albufeira on July 21 when the male worker shouted at them that their swimwear was ‘not acceptable’.

Ms Dean, from Chessington, Surrey, said he told them they ‘must wear a bikini to follow Portuguese culture’.

She wore a normal swimsuit with three-quarter length leggings, while her sister-in-law was wearing leggings and a top that covered her arms down to her elbows.

They said they wore the outfits to make them feel comfortable and for cultural and religious reasons.

They said the staff member made Ms Dean’s daughter stand up to demonstrate the ‘appropriate’ swimwear – she was wearing a normal swimsuit.

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Ms Dean, who was on holiday with her four children and other relatives, told The Mirror: ‘I was not allowed to wear swimming gear that I am comfortable in and that was actually made for women like me to wear.

‘Given my cultural background I was wearing a burkini.

‘I was approached by the building security manager as someone made a complaint that I was not wearing a bikini and therefore not appropriate to be in the pool.

‘I was compared to my nine-year-old daughter who was told to stand up out of the pool to see what she was wearing which I found completely rude – I was told I should wear that to swim.

‘I keep thinking about it. We had to do a “walk of shame” back to the apartment, it was disgusting.

‘It was a very distressing experience for me and my family.’

Hina said: ‘He said it wasn’t possible for me to be in the pool with clothes on, and said I must wear a burkini.

‘We told him it was swimwear but he said, “You have to wear a bikini or shorts. In Portuguese culture, it’s not acceptable.”

‘He said we had to abide by Portuguese culture if we were in the country.

‘We told him we didn’t wear bikinis because we weren’t comfortable in them. It was a confidence thing.

‘But he kept repeating, “You have to wear a bikini”. We were feeling really humiliated.’