Meloni plans to ban burqas and niqabs in Italian schools and cap foreign students per classroom

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says she will soon present her government with a measure to cap the number of foreign students in classrooms and ban burqas and niqabs in schools.

Speaking at the national festival of the youth wing of her nationalist conservative Brothers of Italy party in Rome on Sunday, Meloni said the measure would also require Italian-language lessons for parents of foreign students experiencing “serious difficulties integrating into the school system.” She said people who come to Italy to build their future there must learn the language, understand the culture and respect the rules.

Meloni specifically referred to the burqa, an all-covering garment worn by some Muslim women, and the niqab, a veil worn by some conservative Muslim women that may leave only the eyes visible. She did not mention the hijab, the headscarf worn by some Muslim women.

If approved by the government, the measure would need parliamentary approval within 60 days to become law. Meloni has maintained a hawkish stance on migration during her time as prime minister. Earlier this month, her conservative administration became Italy’s longest-serving uninterrupted government since the Second World War.