Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Announces Plans to Ban Burqas and Niqabs in Schools

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Sunday, September 20, 2026, that her administration will soon introduce a measure designed to restrict foreign student enrollment in classrooms and prohibit the wearing of burqas and niqabs in Italian schools.

Speaking to the youth wing of her nationalist conservative Brothers of Italy party in Rome, Ms. Meloni outlined the proposed policy during the Gioventù Nazionale national festival. According to The Hindu, the planned legislation will also mandate Italian language lessons for parents of foreign students who experience serious difficulties integrating into the country's school system.

During her address at the festival, which drew a standing ovation from the crowd, Ms. Meloni emphasized the administration's stance on immigration and assimilation. She stated that individuals coming to Italy to build their future must learn the national language, understand the culture, and respect local rules, calling it the only serious way to welcome newcomers.

The proposed measure specifically targets the burqa—an all-covering garment worn by some Muslim women—and the niqab, a veil worn by more conservative Muslim women that typically leaves only the eyes visible. The reported text noted that Ms. Meloni did not mention the hijab, which is a headscarf worn by some Muslim women.

Once the measure is formally approved by the government, it will face a standard legislative hurdle. To pass into permanent law, it must secure parliamentary approval within a 60-day window.

Ms. Meloni, whose political roots lie in the far-right, has maintained a hawkish stance on migration throughout her political career. Over the course of her tenure as Prime Minister, observers note she has politically evolved from a nationalist outlier into a more established figure among European Union politicians.

The announcement comes as Ms. Meloni seeks to bolster her popularity ahead of a general election scheduled for next year. Alongside the school and integration measures, her administration has rolled out a series of policies aimed at boosting public support, including an exemption from a property tax affecting small and medium-sized cars and scooters.

Earlier this month, Ms. Meloni's conservative administration marked a milestone by becoming Italy's longest-serving uninterrupted government since the end of World War II.

As the government prepares to formally introduce the measure, further details regarding the proposed classroom caps on foreign students and the implementation of the school face-veil ban are expected to be debated in parliament following official cabinet submission.