Burqa, niqab ban in Italian schools? PM Giorgia Meloni announces new plan
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced plans to introduce measures that would cap the number of foreign students in classrooms and ban the wearing of burqas and niqabs in schools. Meloni made this announcement while addressing an event organised by the youth wing of her party, ‘Brothers of Italy,’ in Rome.
Under the proposed rules, parents of foreign students who struggle to integrate into the school system would be required to attend Italian language classes. For the proposal to become law, it would require parliamentary approval within 60 days of receiving government clearance.
Currently, 24 countries worldwide—including France and China–have bans on the burqa and niqab.
Giorgia Meloni’s three proposals
Meloni has made a major announcement aimed at boosting her popularity ahead of the 2027 elections. The Italian PM proposed banning face-covering garments like the burqa and niqab in schools. She specifically referred to a ban on the burqa, an all-covering dress worn by some Muslim women, and the niqab, the veil worn by the most conservative Muslim women, in which, at most, only the eyes show. But Meloni didn’t mention the hijab, the headscarf worn by some Muslim women.
She also announced that students arriving in Italy would be required to respect the Italian language and culture. Meloni outlined three key proposals:
- Legally limiting the number of foreign students in classrooms across Italian schools and colleges.
- Making it mandatory for parents of foreign students—who are struggling to integrate into the school system—to learn the Italian language.
- Banning face-covering garments like the burqa and niqab within schools.
‘Whoever wants to come to Italy must…’
Prime Minister Meloni said, “For anyone wishing to come to Italy and build a future here, it is essential to learn our language, understand our culture, and respect our rules. That is the proper way to welcome them. That is why a proposal is being tabled before the Council of Ministers to legally cap the number of foreign students per class—setting a maximum limit. Furthermore, the proposal mandates Italian language learning for the parents of foreign students who struggle to integrate into the school system, and it bans the *burqa* and *niqab* in schools. You agree, I believe you do, because you attend school with your faces uncovered, and because in Italy, one cannot decide that a young woman must keep herself hidden in the name of some real or perceived tradition.”
Elections in Italy next year
It is worth noting that Italy is scheduled to hold its next general election in 2027. Prime Minister Meloni recently marked the longevity of her government, which has become the country’s longest-serving uninterrupted government since World War II.
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Meloni is looking for issues that can help sustain her high popularity. Migration and national identity have always been major and sensitive electoral issues in Italy, and Meloni does not want her opponents to use these issues to return to power.
Meloni, who has political roots in the far-right, has consistently been hawkish on migration. But she has evolved politically over her tenure as prime minister, shifting from a nationalist outlier to an establishment figure among European Union politicians.
However, she’s also keen to boost her popularity before a general election next year and is introducing a string of policies that achieve that aim, including an exemption from a hated property tax on small- and medium-sized cars and scooters.
(With AP inputs)
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