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

PTC News Desk: Italy is planning to ban full-face veils such as the burqa and niqab in schools, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday. The government also plans to limit the number of foreign students in each classroom.

Meloni said the proposals will be presented to the Cabinet. The measures are aimed at improving language skills and integration among students from foreign backgrounds.

Under the proposed rules, parents of foreign students who face serious problems integrating into the Italian education system could also be required to learn Italian.

"A measure will soon be presented to a Cabinet meeting to legally establish a maximum number of foreign students per class. It also requires parents of foreign students facing serious difficulties integrating into the school system to learn Italian and bans burqas and niqabs in schools," Meloni said, as quoted by media reports. 

Meloni did not say how many foreign students would be allowed in one classroom. She said the limit would help schools where many students have difficulty speaking Italian and may therefore face challenges integrating.

According to research group Fondazione ISMU, students who are not Italian citizens make up 11.6% of pupils in Italian schools.

"If there is only one child in a class who doesn't understand Italian, that child will likely be able to learn the language and integrate quickly with the help of classmates and teachers. However, if the number of children who don't understand the language becomes large - or even the majority - that is no longer integration; it is neglect," she added.

Italy tightens immigration approach

The proposals are part of Meloni's broader approach to migration and integration. Italy receives many migrants arriving across the central Mediterranean from North Africa, making immigration a major political issue in the country.

The plan to restrict full-face coverings also comes amid a wider European debate over religious clothing in public places.

Several European countries already have restrictions on face coverings. France has a nationwide ban on concealing the face in public, while Belgium, Denmark and Austria have similar restrictions. Switzerland introduced a nationwide face-covering ban in 2025.

In the Netherlands, burqas and niqabs have been restricted since 2019 in and around schools, healthcare facilities, government buildings and on public transport. The Dutch government says the rule applies to all face coverings, regardless of whether they are religious.