Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced plans to ban burqas and niqabs in schools and introduce a legal limit on the number of foreign students in each classroom. The proposed measures are part of a wider set of changes Meloni's government is planning for Italian schools.
“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.”
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The government is expected to present a draft measure to the Cabinet, although Meloni did not specify the proposed numerical or percentage cap. Still a proposal, the measure will need parliamentary approval within 60 days of government authorization to become law. The announcement was made on September 20, 2026, at Fenix, a national youth festival organised by Meloni's Brothers of Italy party.
The proposed measures would also require students to attend school with their faces uncovered, effectively banning full-face coverings such as the burqa and niqab in educational institutions.
Meloni argued that, in Italy, no young woman should be required to hide her face in the name of a real or supposed tradition. The report's headline refers to the hijab, but Meloni's remarks specifically mentioned the burqa and niqab.
Another proposed measure would require parents of foreign students facing serious difficulties integrating into the Italian school system to learn Italian.
Meloni said that having one or two students who do not speak Italian in a classroom can allow teachers and classmates to help them integrate. However, she argued that a larger concentration of non-Italian-speaking students could create difficulties for integration.
She also said Italian children should not feel like a minority in their own classrooms.
The measures come as foreign-nationality students account for 11.6% of school enrolments in Italy, according to data cited from the ISMU Foundation. This represents roughly 12 students out of every 100.
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The government has yet to disclose the specific classroom limit or provide full details of the proposed rules.
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