Meloni proposes cap on foreign students, niqab and burqa ban in schools

Rome,UPDATED: Sep 20, 2026 21:58 IST

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday that she will soon bring a measure before her government to cap the number of foreign students in classrooms and ban the wearing of burqas and niqabs in schools.

She also said the proposal would make Italian language lessons compulsory for parents of foreign students who are having what she called "serious difficulties integrating into the school system". Once cleared by the government, the measure will need parliamentary approval within 60 days to become law.

Addressing the youth wing of her nationalist conservative Brothers of Italy party at the Giovent Nazionale national festival in Rome, Meloni received a standing ovation as she said, "For us, anyone who comes to Italy and wants to build their future here must learn our language, understand our culture, and respect our rules. It is the only serious way to welcome them."

Meloni specifically referred to a ban on the burqa, an all-covering dress worn by some Muslim women, and the niqab, a veil in which at most only the eyes are visible. She did not mention the hijab, the headscarf worn by some Muslim women.

Meloni, who has political roots in the far right, has consistently taken a hard line on migration. Over her time as prime minister, she has moved from being a nationalist outlier to an establishment figure among European Union politicians. At the same time, she is looking to strengthen her popularity before a general election next year, and has been introducing a series of policies towards that aim, including an exemption from property tax on small- and medium-sized cars and scooters.

Earlier this month, Meloni's conservative administration became Italy's longest-serving uninterrupted government since World War II. Her latest proposal combines classroom limits for foreign students, a school ban on burqas and niqabs, and compulsory Italian lessons for some parents, with parliamentary approval required before it can become law.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends