The Lombardy Regional Council in northern Italy has approved a motion to prohibit the wearing of the burqa and niqab in public buildings and schools. The measure extends an existing ban, aiming to enhance public safety and promote integration.
Proponents state its primary goal is to enforce stricter application of existing rules in the Lombardy Region and encourage the national government to extend the ban across Italy.
Silvia Scurati, regional councilor from the right-wing Lega and the motion’s first signatory, stated, “The approval of the motion aims at the most rigid application of the rules, already provided for by the Lombardy Region, on the ban on the Islamic veil and to solicit the government to extend the ban on all public buildings and schools.”
As Il Giornale reported, Scurati and other supporters of the motion emphasized their concern that veiling is often imposed on women and young girls, calling it a discriminatory and oppressive practice.
“Too many cases show that the obligation of the veil is imposed not only on women but also on girls, and this is not acceptable,” Scurati remarked. She added that Lega, led nationally by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, wanted to ensure that young female students grow up without discrimination and fully integrate into society alongside their peers.
Additionally, she highlighted concerns about the creation of segregated communities in major cities such as Milan, stating that Italy must no longer tolerate the spread of so-called “pseudo-ghettos” where cultural norms contradict those of Western society.
Lega member Alessandro Corbetta reinforced the view that veiling is incompatible with Western values of gender equality. “We cannot tolerate that these practices, which constitute a violation of the fundamental rights of women, have space in Italy and in Europe, where we fought hard for female emancipation,” he stated.
Corbetta further argued that true integration is based on individual freedom, rather than forced adherence to patriarchal customs. “The real integration is not based on the forced respect of truly patriarchal impositions that limit fundamental rights but on the freedom of each individual to express their identity,” he said.
“The freedom to choose how to dress, to live without retrograde impositions far from our culture, is an indispensable right and a pillar of Western society,” he added.
Romano La Russa, Lombardy’s Councilor for Security and a member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (FdI), emphasized the importance of discussion on the issue. He noted that it is common to see women and girls wearing full-face coverings in the region. However, he underscored that the focus should remain on integration rather than imposing a blanket restriction on cultural practices.
“A woman is free to dress as she sees fit,” La Russa stated. “We must demand that the main objective is that of integration, but we cannot pretend to obtain it by force, invading the freedom of others. Nobody wants to erase Muslim culture,” he added.
