Italy is preparing new measures that would ban burqas and niqabs in schools and introduce limits on the number of foreign students allowed in individual classes, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said.
Meloni announced the proposals at a youth event organised by her Brothers of Italy party, saying the government would soon submit a measure to the cabinet setting a legal ceiling for foreign students in each class.
The proposed measures would also require parents of foreign students who face serious difficulties integrating into the Italian school system to learn Italian.
Italy currently has no law that specifically bans burqas or niqabs in schools or other public places. A 1975 law prohibits people from wearing helmets or other clothing that makes identification difficult without a justified reason.
In 2008, Italy’s highest administrative court ruled that people can wear full-face veils for religious or cultural reasons but must reveal their faces when authorities need to verify their identities.
Italy already limits foreign student enrollment to 30% of a class and a school’s total enrollment. Authorities can raise or lower the limit depending on students’ Italian language skills and integration needs.
Foreign students make up just under 12% of Italy’s school population, according to the country’s National Statistics Institute. Meloni has not yet explained how the government intends to modify the existing 30% limit.
The prime minister’s announcement comes as the government prepares to put the proposed school measures before the cabinet, including the planned restrictions on face coverings and foreign student numbers.
