Meloni government bans burqas, caps foreign students in Italian schools

Italy’s government has moved forward with plans to ban face coverings in schools and cap the number of foreign students in classrooms. It has also threatened to exact fines of up to $1,140 for breaches of the new rules.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni outlined the proposed changes on Sunday at a gathering of the youth wing of her nationalist conservative Brothers of Italy (FdI) party. On Thursday, Meloni’s cabinet adopted the decree-law, rendering the wearing of burqas and niqabs in schools illegal and introducing a 30-percent cap on non-Italian speakers in classrooms starting next year.

Failure to comply will be punishable with a fine of up to $1,140 (1,000 euros).

The measure is a decree-law, meaning it can take effect immediately, but it must be ratified by parliament within 60 days.

President Sergio Mattarella, who also has to sign off on it, flagged this week that he was wary of any barriers being placed on education.

Meloni said the “tools” to learn the Italian language and “stop” burqas and niqabs in schools were “common sense that do not divide” in a post on her X account.

“This is the direction we want to continue to follow: a school that integrates without giving up on rules, that supports those who have more difficulties and that puts everyone in a position to start from the same point,” she wrote.

Opponents said the government was using the rules to try to counter the growing appeal of the far-right National Future (FN) party led by former army general Roberto Vannacci ahead of next year’s elections.