Italy plans to ban burqas in schools, limit foreign students per class

Italy is preparing to ban burqas and niqabs in schools and limit the number of foreign students in each class, Reuters quoted Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as saying on Sunday.

The proposed measures would also require parents of foreign students facing “serious difficulties integrating into the school system” to attend Italian language classes, Meloni said.

The prime minister announced the measures at an annual gathering of the youth wing of her right-wing Brothers of Italy party in Rome.

Her party is expected to face a challenge in the 2027 general election from the National Future party, which has taken a harder line on immigration, Al Jazeera reported. Immigration is expected to be a key topic in the polls.

Neither burqas or niqabs are expressly banned in Italy, but a 1975 law prohibits the use of helmets or garments that make identification difficult without a justified reason.

A 2008 ruling clarified that full-face coverings may be worn for religious or cultural reasons if the face is revealed when identity verification is required.

Students who are not Italian citizens account for 11.6% of those enrolled in Italian schools, or nearly 12 in 100, Reuters quoted data by Fondazione ISMU research institute as saying.

Edited by Nachiket Deuskar.
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