In Italian schools, wearing burqas and niqabs has been banned

Italy's schools introduce ban on wearing burqas and niqabs

The Italian government, led by Giorgia Meloni, has approved a decree that bans the wearing of burqas and niqabs in the country's schools.

At the same time, hijabs remain permitted, the Associated Press agency reports.

In addition, the document establishes a limit on the proportion of foreign students who have recently arrived in the country and do not speak Italian well enough — no more than 30 percent per class. If this threshold is exceeded, the students will be redistributed to other classes and educational institutions. The new decree also obliges the parents of foreign students to take free Italian language courses. Refusal to study carries a fine of 200 to 1,000 euros. According to Meloni, these measures are designed to ensure equal opportunities and prevent the emergence of "ghetto classes."

The initiative has met with criticism from teachers and trade unions, who point to difficulties in distributing students in areas with a high proportion of migrants and believe that the 14 million euros allocated by the government for language support is insufficient. The adopted decree fits into the course of tightening the country's migration policy. In particular, in November 2025, Meloni announced the continuation of the practice of sending illegal migrants to detention centers in Albania, despite court rulings and the fact that more than 30,000 foreigners arrived in Italy over the year.