Italy moves to ban burqa, niqab in schools, says Meloni (AI-generated image)
Italy is preparing to ban the burqa and niqab in schools, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Sunday, putting the country back in the spotlight of Europe’s long-running debate over face-covering veils, religious expression and integration.
Netherlands: Its 2019 law is narrower, restricting face coverings in places including schools, hospitals, government buildings and public transport rather than imposing a blanket public-space ban.
Meloni said her government would soon take a measure to the Cabinet that would prohibit burqas and niqabs in schools. “You must go to school with your face uncovered,” Meloni said, arguing that no one in Italy should be able to decide that a young woman must hide her face in the name of tradition. Spain: It has no nationwide ban comparable to France’s, with restrictions instead varying according to local or institutional rules.
She also proposed limiting the number of foreign students in each classroom and requiring parents of foreign students facing serious integration difficulties to learn Italian. The government has not yet specified the proposed limit on foreign students. The proposed measure still needs to go through the legislative process before it becomes law. The proposal specifically refers to burqas and niqabs, but not hijabs. A burqa covers the entire body and includes a mesh covering over the eyes, while a niqab covers the face but leaves the eyes visible. A hijab covers the hair and neck but leaves the face uncovered. Italy’s proposed measure is more narrowly focused on schools , putting it closer to Austria’s approach than to Europe’s blanket public-space bans. Whether it becomes law will depend on the legislative process that follows Meloni’s Cabinet proposal.