Italy plans cap on foreign students, face-covering ban in schools
Italy is preparing new legislation to limit the number of foreign students in classrooms and ban face coverings such as burqas and niqabs in schools, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday.
Speaking at an annual gathering of the youth wing of her Brothers of Italy party, Meloni said the proposed law would set a maximum number of foreign students in each class. However, she did not specify the exact limit.
She also said parents of foreign students facing serious difficulties in integrating into the Italian school system would be required to learn Italian. Meloni said students should attend school with their faces uncovered.
Italian PM Meloni:
— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 20, 2026
The proposed measure will introduce an obligation for the parents of foreign students with serious school-integration problems to learn Italian, and it will introduce a ban on the burqa and niqab at school.
In Italy, nobody, in the name of a real or supposed… pic.twitter.com/zYm54QCYBD
According to research institute Fondazione ISMU, non-Italian citizens account for 11.6% of students enrolled in Italian schools, meaning nearly 12 out of every 100 students hold foreign citizenship.
The proposed measures are expected to be presented to the Council of Ministers before moving through the legislative process.
Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara had earlier said the government wanted legislation to enforce a 30% limit on foreign students per class, although Meloni did not give a specific figure in her announcement.
The announcement comes amid wider European debates over migration, integration and rules concerning face coverings in public spaces.
Several European countries already have varying restrictions on face-covering garments, though the scope and legal details differ from country to country.