Meloni Announces School Veil Ban and Foreign Student Cap

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Sunday that her government will introduce measures to ban burqas and niqabs in schools and cap the number of foreign students per classroom. Speaking at the Gioventù Nazionale national festival in Rome, a gathering of the youth wing of her nationalist conservative Brothers of Italy party, Meloni outlined the proposed changes as part of efforts to enforce integration and cultural cohesion. The announcement includes a requirement for Italian language lessons for parents of foreign students who face serious difficulties integrating into the school system. Meloni emphasized that learning the language is essential for building a future in Italy. "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," she said to a standing ovation. Once approved by the cabinet, the measure would need parliamentary approval within 60 days to pass into law. Meloni did not specify the exact cap on foreign students, but an existing law already limits them to 30% per class and school.