Italy to ban burqas in schools

Far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced plans to ban burqas and niqabs in schools, as well as limit the number of foreign students in each classroom, according to a report from the EPA Images. Integration difficulties for some foreign students may require parents to learn Italian, Meloni said, emphasizing that Italy is a significant migrant country and integration is a key issue leading up to the 2023 general election.

A cabinet meeting will soon present a measure to legally establish a maximum number of foreign students per class, Meloni told a youth wing gathering of her Brothers of Italy (FdI) party. The National Future (FN) party, the far-right wing further to the right than Meloni's coalition, had previously called for a crackdown on burqa use in schools in July.

Although no explicit law bans burqas in Italy, a 1975 law prohibits the use of helmets or garments difficult to identify without a justified reason. In 2008, Italy's highest administrative court clarified that full-face veils can be worn for religious or cultural reasons if the face is visible for identification purposes.

Currently, foreign students make up nearly 12% of those enrolled in Italian schools, with the number limited to below 30% since 2010. The limit can be adjusted for foreign students with good Italian language skills or lowered when students struggle with the language.