Meloni: We will ban the wearing of the niqab in schools... and students must attend with their faces uncovered

(Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday that the government intends to ban the wearing of the niqab in schools and impose a cap on the number of foreign students in each classroom, a move that highlights her right-wing affiliations.

Italy is one of the European countries most exposed to migrant flows due to its central location in the Mediterranean Sea, making immigration a central issue and a persistent challenge for successive governments.

The integration of migrants, particularly those from majority-Muslim countries, remains one of the most contentious issues in Italian politics and society. Debates over religion, cultural integration, nationality laws, and immigration policies frequently divide public opinion.

Meloni said at an annual gathering of the youth wing of her party, Brothers of Italy, that “a draft decree will soon be submitted to the Council of Ministers to establish a legal cap on the number of foreign students in each classroom. The draft also requires the parents of foreign students who face significant difficulties integrating into the education system to learn Italian, and it bans the wearing of the burqa and niqab in schools.”

She added, “If there is only one child in the classroom who does not understand Italian, it is likely that this child can quickly learn the language and integrate with the help of classmates and teachers. But if the number of children who do not understand the language increases, or even becomes the majority, this is no longer integration but neglect.”

Meloni did not specify the maximum number of foreign students allowed in each classroom.

Data from the ISMU research foundation indicates that non-Italian students account for 11.6 percent of those enrolled in Italian schools, or approximately 12 students out of every 100.

Meloni stated, “One must go to school with uncovered faces. No one in Italy, in the name of a real or alleged tradition, may force a young woman to hide herself.”