Italy’s Meloni Proposes Strict School Bans on Burqas and Foreign Student Limits

POLICY WIRE — Rome, Italy — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Sunday that her administration will soon introduce legislation to limit the number of foreign students in classrooms while enacting a ban on burqas and niqabs within educational institutions.

Speaking to the youth wing of her nationalist conservative Brothers of Italy party at the Gioventù Nazionale national festival in Rome, Meloni stated that the upcoming measure would additionally mandate Italian language lessons for parents of foreign students who experience serious integration challenges within the school system.

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, Meloni declared to a standing ovation, calling it the only serious way to welcome newcomers.

The proposed legislation specifically targets the burqa, an all-covering garment worn by some Muslim women, and the niqab, a veil that leaves only the eyes exposed. The measure does not address the hijab, which is a headscarf worn by certain Muslim women.

Once formally approved by the government, the legislative proposal must secure parliamentary clearance within a 60-day window to officially become law. Meloni, whose political background lies in the far-right, has maintained a notoriously hawkish stance on migration throughout her career.

Over the course of her tenure as prime minister, Meloni has transitioned politically from a nationalist outsider into a more established figure among European Union leadership. Ahead of a general election scheduled for next year, she has pushed various popular policies, including exemptions from property taxes on compact vehicles and scooters.

Earlier in the month, Meloni’s conservative administration officially became Italy’s longest-serving uninterrupted government since the conclusion of World War II.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)