Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced plans to ban face coverings such as burqas and niqabs in schools and to impose a cap on the number of foreign students per class, with these measures set to be presented to cabinet shortly. This policy reflects Italy's ongoing challenges with migrant integration, particularly given its central Mediterranean location which makes it a major entry point for migrants arriving in Europe. The integration of migrants from Muslim-majority countries remains a contentious issue in Italian politics and society, with debates over religious symbols, cultural integration and immigration policy frequently polarising public opinion.

The measure will require parents of foreign students facing integration difficulties to learn Italian, though Meloni did not specify the exact maximum number of foreign students allowed per class. Currently, students who are not Italian citizens account for 11.6 per cent of those enrolled in Italian schools—approximately 12 in every 100 students—according to research institution Fondazione ISMU. The announcement comes as other European countries implement similar restrictions: Austria introduced a ban on Islamic headscarves in schools for girls under 14 earlier this month, and Portugal enacted a burqa law last month banning full-face veils in public spaces. Italy currently has no law expressly banning burqas, though a 1975 law does prohibit garments that make identification difficult, and a 2008 court ruling clarified that full-face veils may be worn for religious or cultural reasons when identification can be verified.