Story perspectives

Meloni proposes banning burqas and niqabs in schools

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 2:18 PM UTC · How we work

Center

Mandatory Italian Lessons

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Sunday the government will propose banning burqas and niqabs in schools and capping foreign students per classroom.
The draft creates a new offence punishable by one-to-two-year prison terms, €10,000-€30,000 fines and possible loss of citizenship.
Parents of foreign pupils with serious integration difficulties must attend compulsory Italian language courses.
Foreign-citizen students total about 930,000 pupils, 11.6% of Italy’s school population, per Fondazione ISMU.

Right

Civilizational Integration Narrative

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the government will propose banning burqas and niqabs in schools and limiting foreign-citizen students per classroom.
The measures were framed as a civilizational issue protecting integration and gender equality, announced at the Fenix youth festival of Brothers of Italy’s Gioventù Nazionale.
Fondazione ISMU data show foreign-citizen pupils are 11.6% of schools.

Blindspot

Legal scholars warned the measure may conflict with Article 34 of the Constitution, which guarantees school access to all children.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Center-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

In 2004, France enacted the law prohibiting conspicuous religious symbols, including hijabs, in public schools, sparking nationwide debate. Prime Minister Jacques Chirac championed the measure, and the French Parliament voted 462-0, while the European Court of Human Rights later upheld it in 2009. Today Italy's Giorgia Meloni proposes similar school bans, targeting burqas and niqabs and capping foreign-citizen pupils—who comprise 11.6% of 930,000 students, per Fondazione ISMU. The French precedent suggests legal challenges may reach Italy's Constitutional Court, potentially reshaping European education policy and integration debates for decades.

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Mandatory Italian Lessons

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Sunday the government will propose banning burqas and niqabs in schools and capping foreign students per classroom.
The draft creates a new offence punishable by one-to-two-year prison terms, €10,000-€30,000 fines and possible loss of citizenship.
Parents of foreign pupils with serious integration difficulties must attend compulsory Italian language courses.
Foreign-citizen students total about 930,000 pupils, 11.6% of Italy’s school population, per Fondazione ISMU.

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