Italy’s Meloni Plans School Veil Ban and Foreign Student Limits

Italy’s Lazio government prepares controversial school measures as Meloni faces pressure from the political right over migration and integration

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced plans for new school regulations that would ban burqas and niqabs in classrooms, limit the number of foreign students per class and require some parents to learn Italian. The measures are expected to reach cabinet soon.

Meloni made the announcement on September 20 at Fenix, an event organised by Gioventù Nazionale, the youth organisation of her Brothers of Italy party. She presented the proposals as measures intended to strengthen integration and ensure Italian remains central within schools.

The proposed legislation would specifically prohibit full-face coverings including the burqa and niqab in schools. A burqa generally covers the entire body and face, while a niqab covers the face while leaving the eyes visible. The hijab leaves the face uncovered.

Meloni also wants a statutory limit on foreign students in individual classrooms. The government has not yet specified the precise new threshold, although Italy already has a 30 percent guideline for foreign pupils introduced through a 2010 ministerial circular.

The existing 30 percent threshold has frequently been difficult to apply, particularly in areas where immigrant populations are concentrated. The proposed legislation would therefore move the issue from an administrative guideline towards a formal legal framework, although important implementation details remain unresolved.

Meloni said parents of foreign students experiencing serious difficulties integrating into Italy’s school system would also be required to learn Italian. She argued that newcomers who want to build their future in Italy should understand the language, culture and rules.

The announcement comes as migration remains one of Italy’s most politically divisive issues. The country’s central Mediterranean position has made it a major arrival point for migrants, while successive governments have faced continuing debates over integration, asylum and cultural identity.

Meloni has also faced growing competition from politicians further to the right. Retired general Roberto Vannacci, who leads Futuro Nazionale, has supported tougher migration and cultural policies and welcomed Meloni’s proposed restrictions on full-face veils.

Vannacci’s political movement has already backed action against full-face coverings. In July, Futuro Nazionale submitted a resolution opposing the wearing of such veils, which was approved by the Chamber of Deputies’ Culture Committee following revisions requested by the government.

The issue had also been raised within the governing coalition. Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara proposed action against full-face veils in August, while the League introduced legislation earlier this year seeking changes to Italy’s existing rules concerning garments that make identification difficult.

Italy currently does not have a nationwide prohibition specifically targeting burqas or niqabs. A 1975 law restricts the use of helmets or clothing that makes identification difficult without a justified reason, while subsequent legal interpretation has allowed religious or cultural coverings in certain circumstances.

Meloni’s proposal would therefore establish a specific school-based restriction rather than simply relying on existing identification rules. The government argues that schools should require students to attend with their faces visible, while critics question whether such restrictions could interfere with religious freedom.

Other European countries have already adopted broader restrictions on face coverings. France introduced a nationwide public-space ban in 2011, while Belgium approved similar legislation that year. Denmark and Switzerland have also introduced national restrictions, with different rules and penalties.

Austria has adopted additional restrictions affecting schools. From September 2026, girls up to the age of 14 are prohibited from wearing certain Islamic head coverings at school under the country’s revised rules. Italy’s proposed measure would add another national example of school-based restrictions.

The Netherlands has a partial face-covering ban applying to settings including schools, hospitals, government buildings and public transport. Germany has no nationwide public-space ban, although federal and regional rules restrict face coverings in specific professional, educational and public circumstances.

Portugal has also recently completed legislation restricting face coverings in public spaces. The European comparison nevertheless shows considerable variation, with countries applying different combinations of nationwide restrictions, institutional rules and constitutional protections concerning religion and individual freedoms.

The proposed foreign-pupil limit presents a separate challenge. Italy already operates a 30 percent administrative ceiling, but local circumstances can make strict enforcement difficult. School administrators have questioned how new rules could work where neighbourhood demographics naturally produce classrooms with high numbers of foreign pupils.

Foreign pupils also do not necessarily represent the same category of students in terms of language or integration needs. Some have been born in Italy, while others arrive after beginning education elsewhere. A nationality-based limit could therefore raise practical questions about how schools classify students.

Italy’s constitutional framework is another element of the debate. Article 34 of the Constitution states that schools are open to everyone and establishes compulsory and free basic education. Legal experts have consequently questioned whether strict limits could create conflicts with constitutional educational rights.

Constitutional law professor Salvatore Curreri told ANSA that an excessively restrictive arrangement could become problematic if students and families were forced to relocate far from their homes. He argued that such an outcome could conflict with the broader objective of integration and constitutional educational rights.

Opposition politicians have also criticised the announcement. Angelo Bonelli of the Green and Left Alliance accused Meloni of responding to pressure from the political right rather than concentrating on broader problems facing Italy’s education system, including teachers’ salaries and school resources.

The government, however, maintains that integration requires more than simply placing students in classrooms. Meloni has argued that language acquisition, understanding Italian culture and compliance with national rules are necessary elements of successful participation in Italian society.

Education Minister Valditara has defended the broader approach to classroom integration. Meanwhile, school principals’ representatives have highlighted practical difficulties, including situations where schools in particular neighbourhoods naturally contain large proportions of foreign-born or non-Italian pupils.

The political timing is also significant. Italy is heading towards its next general election in 2027, and migration and national identity are expected to remain prominent issues. Meloni’s government is therefore operating amid competition between established coalition parties and newer forces further right.

Meloni’s Brothers of Italy remains the leading force in her governing coalition, but the emergence of Futuro Nazionale has created additional political pressure over migration, identity and cultural policies. Vannacci has publicly indicated that he considers Meloni’s proposed school measures overdue.

The government’s proposals still require a formal legislative process before they become permanent rules. Once approved by the Council of Ministers, measures requiring legislation would have to proceed through Parliament, meaning their final wording, scope and implementation could still change.

For Italy’s schools, the debate now extends beyond the question of face coverings. It encompasses classroom composition, language education, parental responsibilities, religious expression and the constitutional principle of access to education, making the forthcoming legislation significant for students, families and teachers.

The proposals also place Italy within a wider European debate over how schools should balance integration with religious expression and individual rights. While several countries have introduced restrictions on face coverings, national approaches differ substantially according to constitutional frameworks and domestic education systems.

As the cabinet considers the measures, the central questions will concern how foreign-student limits are calculated, which students are covered, how schools handle areas with high migrant populations and how the proposed veil restrictions interact with existing rights.

For now, Meloni has announced the direction of government policy rather than a completed law. The coming cabinet and parliamentary discussions will determine the precise restrictions, exemptions and enforcement mechanisms, while opposition parties, education officials and legal experts continue examining their potential consequences.

 

This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members