
Italy’s Meloni Proposes School Caps on Foreign Students and Bans on Face Coverings
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a new legislative package on September 20, 2026, proposing to ban face-covering garments like burqas and niqabs in schools and to cap the number of foreign students in classrooms. The measures also include mandatory Italian language lessons for parents of foreign pupils facing integration challenges. Meloni argued that high concentrations of non-native speakers hinder integration and marginalize native students, framing the policies as essential for preserving cultural identity and ensuring equality.




