Italy to ban face covers in public places

Italy's governing party the Brothers of Italy has tabled legislation to ban the burqa and niqab in public areas, part of a bill targeting what it calls Islam-linked "cultural separatism".

The measure, presented to parliament by lawmakers from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's party, would bar face-covering garments in all public places, including schools, universities, shops and offices nationwide, newspaper Politico reported.

The burqa is a head-to-toe covering with a mesh panel over the eyes. The niqab is a face veil that leaves the eye area visible. Breaches of the new rules would carry fines of 300 euros ($350) to 3,000 euros.

The bill is aimed at combating "religious radicalization and religiously motivated hatred", its introductory text says.

The proposal also aims to add criminal penalties for virginity testing, and toughen opposition to forced marriages by making religious coercion prosecutable. It also requires members of religious groups without formal agreements with the state to disclose all funding, with donations barred from entities deemed security threats.

France became the first European state to enact a blanket public ban on the burqa in 2011. Since then, the roster has grown markedly, with more than 20 countries worldwide, including Austria, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tunisia and Turkiye, adopting some version of a public ban on the burqa and other full-face veils.

The European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly upheld such measures, including in 2017 when it backed Belgium's ban, saying states may restrict these garments to safeguard "living together" in society.

Parts of Italy already enforce curbs, with Lombardy in the north barring people in late 2015 from entering public buildings and hospitals wearing face coverings.

"Religious freedom is sacred, but it must be exercised in the open, in full respect of our constitution and the principles of the Italian state," the lawmaker Andrea Delmastro, one of the bill's initiators, said. "We have taken inspiration for this law from staunchly secular France, with the deep conviction that no foreign funding should ever undermine our sovereignty or our civilization."

Sara Kelany, head of immigration for Brothers of Italy, said: "It is a bill that will essentially deal with regulating the funding of mosques, and with preventing and banning the use of the full-face veil. It also emphasizes the legislation against forced marriages. In Italy we apply our laws which are based on a specific set of values."

In June, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer dismissed calls from the party Reform UK for a burqa ban in Britain.

The Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says the burqa is "anti-British", and he has called for a nationwide debate on the issue.