Italy approves school ban on burqa and niqab, caps non-Italian speakers at 30%

September 25, 2026 at 12:32 AM2 min

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The Italian government approved a ban on the burqa and niqab in schools and a 30% cap on pupils with limited Italian in first-year classes. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the measures on Sunday, describing them as tools for integration. The decree takes effect immediately but must be ratified by parliament within 60 days.

Key Facts

The 30% cap applies to first-year primary, middle, and high school classes for pupils without Italian citizenship or with poor Italian language skills.
The ban covers the burqa and niqab but not the hijab, which leaves the face visible.
Non-Italian citizens make up 11.6% of pupils in Italy's schools, according to Fondazione ISMU.
Violators of the face-covering ban can be fined 1,000 euros, according to TRT Haber.
Schools must report persistent language barriers among parents to social services, with free Italian courses offered.

The Decree

The Italian government approved the decree at a Council of Ministers meeting chaired by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The measures include a ban on the burqa and niqab in schools and a 30% cap on pupils with limited Italian in first-year classes. The veil ban applies to the burqa and niqab but not the hijab, which leaves the face visible. The decree is a decree law, meaning it takes effect immediately but must be ratified by parliament within 60 days.

Language Cap Details

In primary schools, the 30% limit covers non-Italian citizens who were not born in Italy or have not attended at least two years of nursery school. In lower and upper secondary schools, it covers pupils without Italian citizenship who have not completed at least three years in the Italian school system. Local school offices will be asked to spread pupils with little Italian more evenly among nearby schools. Where that is not possible, exemptions apply with extra Italian teaching, aiming to avoid 'ghetto classes', according to Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara.

Reactions and Enforcement

Prime Minister Meloni described the measures as 'common-sense tools that do not divide but really help to integrate'. Opposition parties accuse the government of pandering to the hard-right Futuro Nazionale party ahead of next year's general election. Education Minister Valditara said the limit is 'purely linguistic' rather than one of citizenship and framed the veil ban as a matter of gender equality. TRT Haber reports that violators of the face-covering ban can be fined 1,000 euros.