Another European Country to Ban Burqas and Niqabs in Schools

Italy is preparing new measures that would ban burqas and niqabs in schools and introduce a limit on the number of foreign students in each class, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said.

Meloni announced the plans at a youth event organized by her Brothers of Italy party. She said the government will soon present a measure to the cabinet that would establish a legal maximum for foreign students in each class.

The proposed measures would also require parents of foreign students who face serious difficulties integrating into the Italian school system to learn Italian.

Italy currently has no law that specifically bans burqas or niqabs in schools or other public places. A 1975 law prohibits people from wearing helmets or other clothing that makes identification difficult without a justified reason.

In 2008, Italy’s highest administrative court ruled that people can wear full-face veils for religious or cultural reasons but must reveal their faces when authorities need to verify their identities.

Italy already limits foreign student enrollment to 30% of a class and a school’s total enrollment. Authorities can raise or lower the limit depending on students’ Italian language skills and integration needs.

Foreign students account for just under 12% of students enrolled in Italian schools, according to Italy’s National Statistics Institute. Meloni did not specify how the government plans to change the existing 30% limit.

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