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Italy Plans Burqa and Niqab Ban in Schools, Foreign Student Limits

Italy plans to ban burqas and niqabs in schools, limit foreign students per classroom and require Italian lessons for some parents.

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Epic Daily News

2/24/20262 min read

Italy proposed burqa and niqab restrictions in schools

Proposed Ban on Burqas and Niqabs

The proposed measure would prohibit burqas and niqabs in Italian schools. Meloni specifically referred to these full-face coverings in her announcement. The proposal does not address the hijab, according to reporting by Reuters and the Associated Press.

Italy does not currently have a nationwide law specifically banning burqas or niqabs. Existing rules concerning face coverings and identification have been subject to legal interpretations, including a 2008 ruling allowing full-face coverings for religious or cultural reasons when the face can be revealed for identification.

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Italy Plans Burqa and Niqab Ban in Schools, Foreign Student Limits

Rome: Italy is preparing new education and integration measures that would restrict the wearing of burqas and niqabs in schools, introduce a legal limit on foreign students per classroom and require some parents of foreign students to learn Italian. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the proposals on September 20, 2026.

Foreign Students and Italian Language

The government also plans to establish a maximum number of foreign students per classroom. Meloni has not specified the proposed new maximum.

Italy already has a framework limiting the proportion of non-Italian students in schools, with exceptions and flexibility in certain circumstances. Foreign students currently account for around 12% of school enrolment, according to figures cited by Reuters.

Another proposed measure would require parents of foreign students facing serious integration difficulties to learn Italian. The government has presented the language measure as part of its broader approach to school integration.

Proposal Still Needs Approval

The measures are not yet law. The government is expected to present the proposal to the Cabinet, after which it would require parliamentary approval to take effect.

The announcement has already prompted debate over education, integration, religious expression and the treatment of foreign students in Italy.