Italy moves to ban burqas, niqabs in schools

Italy is preparing legislation to ban burqas and niqabs in schools, introduce a legal cap on foreign students in classrooms and require some foreign parents to learn Italian, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Sunday (September 20).

Meloni announced the proposals at a youth festival organised by her Brothers of Italy party in Rome. She said people coming to Italy to build a future must learn Italian, understand the country’s culture and respect its rules.

Under the proposed measures, parents of foreign students facing serious integration difficulties at school would be required to attend Italian-language classes. The government has yet to specify the new limit on foreign students per class.

The proposed legislation would need parliamentary approval within 60 days of being issued to become law. Italy already has guidelines limiting the proportion of foreign students in a class to 30 percent, although the government has indicated it wants a statutory limit.

Foreign students currently account for about 12 percent of pupils in Italian schools, according to the figures cited in reports.

Italy does not currently have a specific nationwide ban on burqas or niqabs. Existing legislation restricts clothing that prevents identification in certain circumstances, while religious or cultural reasons have been recognised as exceptions, provided the face can be uncovered when identity checks are required.

Meloni’s announcement comes ahead of Italy’s next general election and amid competition on immigration and integration issues from parties further to the right. The proposals are expected to face political and legal debate before any changes take effect.