Giorgia Meloni proposes limiting the number of foreign students in classes and banning the burqa and niqab in schools across Italy

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced that the government will propose legislation to the Council of Ministers to limit the number of foreign students in a class and ban the wearing of the burqa and niqab in schools. The measures target migrant integration and are being presented in a context in which migration is one of the main issues in Italian politics.

Meloni said at the annual meeting of the youth organization of the Brothers of Italy party that parents of foreign students facing serious integration difficulties could be required to learn Italian. However, the prime minister did not specify the maximum number of foreign students that would be allowed in a class.

According to Fondazione ISMU, students without Italian citizenship account for 11.6% of all students enrolled in schools in Italy. Meloni argued that a small number of children who do not speak Italian can be supported by teachers and classmates, but that a high concentration makes integration more difficult.

She also said that students must attend school with their faces uncovered, rejecting the use of religious traditions to justify covering the face.