Meloni publicizes ban on burqa and niqab in Italian faculties, cap on overseas college students

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has introduced that the federal government is making ready a invoice that might ban burqas and niqabs in faculties and introduce a restrict on the variety of overseas pupils in every class.

Several European international locations, together with France and Belgium, already ban face coverings in public locations. Austria has additionally launched restrictions in faculties. Elsewhere, together with Spain and Poland, freedom of conscience and faith is protected by the structure.

Meloni mentioned a package deal of measures will quickly go earlier than the Italian cupboard, together with a ban on burqas and niqabs in faculties, a requirement for fogeys of pupils going through “severe difficulties integrating” into the nationwide faculty system to be taught Italian, and a restrict on locations for overseas pupils.

Italy heads to the polls subsequent yr, with competitors intensifying to the suitable of Meloni’s social gathering following the entry of retired common Roberto Vannacci, who has known as for even harder measures. Migration is a extremely political and divisive subject in Italy.

“It is unacceptable that in an Italian classroom the kids who find yourself feeling pushed right into a nook are Italian youngsters as a result of they’ve change into the minority. That can’t be allowed,” she mentioned throughout a rally organised by Gioventù Nazionale, the youth wing of her Brothers of Italy social gathering.

“Calling all this integration is one more lie, a handy lie for individuals who dwell off ideology, for individuals who preach to us from their residing rooms after which ship their very own youngsters to colleges the place this downside doesn’t exist.”

Previous initiatives and legislative proposals

Meloni’s announcement comes after a number of associated initiatives in current months.

In early August, Education and Merit Minister Giuseppe Valditara proposed motion on the full-face veil by way of an modification to the safety invoice.

At the tip of July, Futuro Nazionale — the social gathering based by far-right MEP Roberto Vannacci, who has backed Meloni’s proposal — tabled a decision in opposition to the full-face veil within the Chamber of Deputies’ Culture Committee. It was permitted with centre-right votes after being redrafted on the authorities’s request.

In March, the League launched a invoice within the Senate to amend Article 5 of the 1975 Reale legislation, which was launched by then-Justice Minister Oronzo Reale throughout the Years of Lead to ban face coverings in public locations.

The proposed modification would create a brand new offence of forcing somebody to hide their face, punishable by one to 2 years in jail and fines of between €10,000 and €30,000. It would additionally bar these convicted from acquiring Italian citizenship.

Full-face veils in Europe

Meloni referred particularly to a ban on burqas and niqabs. A burqa historically covers your complete physique and features a mesh over the eyes, whereas a niqab covers the face, leaving solely the eyes seen. A hijab, against this, covers the hair and neck however leaves the face uncovered.

Several European international locations have launched restrictions on face coverings in public areas.

France imposed a nationwide ban on concealing the face in public locations in April 2011, a measure later upheld by the European Court of Human Rights.

Belgium permitted a nationwide ban in July 2011, with fines and jail sentences for violations. Bulgaria has prohibited full-face veils in state, administrative and academic establishments since September 2016.

Austria handed an anti-mask legislation in October 2017 requiring faces to stay seen in public areas. From September 2026, women as much as the age of 14 may also be prohibited from sporting at college any veil that “covers the pinnacle in accordance with Islamic traditions”.

Denmark launched a nationwide ban in August 2018, with monetary penalties growing for repeat offences. The Netherlands launched a partial ban in August 2019 overlaying faculties, hospitals, authorities workplaces and public transport.

Switzerland launched a federal ban on face coverings in public areas following a nationwide referendum, with the implementing laws coming into power in 2023. Portugal accomplished its legislative course of in August 2026 with a legislation banning face coverings in public areas and imposing monetary penalties.

Germany has no nationwide ban, however federal laws prohibits public workers, judges, members of the armed forces and motorists from overlaying their faces whereas driving. Several Länder additionally prohibit full-face veils in faculties and universities for college kids and academics.

Foreign pupils within the classroom

If Italy introduces a statutory most for overseas pupils in every class, it will change into the primary European nation to undertake such a rule, in accordance with the proposal.

Italy already has a 30% restrict on non-Italian pupils, set out in a 2010 ministerial round issued by then-Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini. The restrict has typically gone unenforced due to native demographic circumstances and a scarcity of flexibility, significantly in city outskirts.

Other European international locations use completely different approaches.

Denmark has a number of the most restrictive insurance policies. The authorities has allowed higher secondary faculties to introduce caps of as much as 50% for pupils of “non-Western origin” or from deprived neighbourhoods. Schools can even organise lessons primarily based on mother and father’ earnings, with the goal of encouraging social and ethnic mixing — a mannequin the Italian authorities is watching with curiosity.

In France, quotas primarily based on origin could be unconstitutional as a result of the state doesn’t accumulate statistics primarily based on ethnic or non secular id. Instead, authorities use “zoning” to revamp faculty catchment areas, linking working-class and wealthier neighbourhoods. In areas with excessive concentrations of migrants, the state additionally reduces the variety of pupils per class.

Criticism of Meloni’s proposal

Meloni’s announcement has obtained help from members of the governing coalition however has additionally drawn criticism from the opposition and authorized specialists.

Speaking to ANSA, Salvatore Curreri, a professor of constitutional legislation on the University of Enna, pointed to Article 34 of the Constitution, which states that “faculty is open to everybody”, together with overseas youngsters.

“If the measure had been so restrictive as to uproot minors and their households to different areas, removed from the place they dwell, it might show extreme exactly as a result of it conflicts with the overriding practical goal of integration, with the danger of infringing a proper recognised by the structure,” Curreri mentioned.

Angelo Bonelli, an MP for the Green and Left Alliance (AVS) and co-spokesperson for Green Europe, additionally criticised the proposal.

“Yet once more, as a substitute of coping with faculties, she is chasing the neo-fascist proper of AfD and Vannacci, who has proposed separate lessons for college kids with disabilities,” he mentioned. “The fact is that the prime minister is under no circumstances taken with how faculties work. Our academics’ salaries are among the many lowest in Europe.”