Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced plans on September 20 to propose legislation that would cap the number of foreign students in Italian classrooms and ban face-covering garments, such as burqas and niqabs, in schools. She emphasized that these measures aim to enhance integration and maintain Italian cultural identity while ensuring that local children do not feel marginalized.
Addressing the youth wing of her conservative Brothers of Italy party in Rome, Meloni stated, “There’s no way that in an Italian classroom, the ones who feel marginalized are Italian children because they have become a minority.”
The proposal includes setting limits on the number of non-Italian students per classroom to prevent clusters in certain districts. Although Meloni did not specify what this cap would be, she mentioned the introduction of mandatory Italian-language lessons for parents of foreign students who face integration challenges.
According to Italy’s Education Ministry, cited by the ISMU ETS Foundation, non-Italian students account for approximately 11.6% of school enrollments nationwide. Under current Italian law, children born to foreign parents do not automatically gain citizenship at birth and can apply for it at age 18.
Meloni argued that a high concentration of non-native speakers affects everyone’s learning experience. She stated, “If in a classroom there is only one child who doesn’t understand Italian, it is possible that that child will manage to learn the language and integrate fast. But if these children are many, or even the majority, that’s not integration anymore, that’s abandonment.”
The proposal also specifically targets religious face coverings, banning burqas and niqabs in educational settings, though allowing other Islamic garments like the hijab. In a series of posts on X, the Brothers of Italy party reiterated Meloni’s stance, emphasizing the importance of learning the language, knowing the culture, and respecting the rules when living in Italy.
Several of Italy’s European neighbors, such as France and Belgium, have previously implemented bans on face-coverings in public, though with varying legal enforcement. The proposed Italian legislation is expected to be reviewed by Italy’s Council of Ministers before moving to Parliament.
Giorgia Meloni, who has led the Brothers of Italy since 2014, has been in office since 2022, overseeing what now is the longest-serving government in modern Italian history. Her administration recently broke records previously set by Silvio Berlusconi’s government.
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