Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced plans to ban the burqa and niqab in schools, cap the number of foreign s...

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced plans to ban the burqa and niqab in schools, cap the number of foreign students per classroom, and require parents of non-Italian students struggling with the language to learn Italian. She made the announcement at the annual youth rally of her party, Brothers of Italy. Meloni argued that a small number of non-Italian-speaking students in a classroom can integrate quickly with the help of teachers and classmates, but when that number grows to a majority, it stops being integration and becomes neglect. She did not specify what the exact cap on foreign students per class would be, saying only that the measure would be presented to cabinet soon. On the face covering ban, Meloni was direct. She said students must attend school with their faces uncovered, and that no one in Italy can use tradition, real or claimed, as justification for deciding that a young woman must hide herself. Non-Italian citizens currently make up 11.6% of students in Italian schools, roughly 12 out of every 100, according to research foundation Fondazione ISMU. The proposed measures are expected to be brought before the Council of Ministers in the coming weeks, though a timeline has not been confirmed. Italy sits at one of the central entry points for migrants crossing the Mediterranean, making immigration policy one of the most contested issues in Italian politics. Meloni's government has moved repeatedly to tighten integration requirements since taking office. #Italy #Immigration #Meloni