Italy is a frontline country for migration, and integration is a hot campaign issue ahead of the 2027 general election. Published September 25, 2026 September 25, 2026 Italy’s government has moved forward with plans to ban face coverings in schools and limit the number of foreign students in classrooms. It has also threatened to impose fines of up to $1,140 for non-compliance with the new rules. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni outlined the proposed changes on Sunday at a meeting of the youth wing of her conservative nationalist Brothers of Italy (FdI) party. On Thursday, Meloni’s cabinet adopted the decree-law that makes the wearing of burqas and niqabs illegal in schools and introduces a 30 percent limit on non-Italian speakers in classrooms starting next year. within 60 days. President Sergio Mattarella, who also has to approve it, said this week that he distrusted any barriers imposed on education. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the Chigi Palace in Rome on September 15, 2026 [Alberto Pizzoli/AFP]Meloni said the “tools” for learning the Italian language and “stopping” burqas and niqabs in schools were “common sense that does not divide” in a post on his Opponents said the government was using the rules to try to counter the growing appeal of the far-right National party. The Future party (FN), led by former army general Roberto Vannacci, ahead of next year’s elections. The FN, which has made schools a central battleground in its campaign for “remigration,” called in July for a crackdown on the burqa in schools. Opposition politicians accused Meloni of prioritizing culture war politics over the interests of students and schools. “It is a shameful decree that seeks to hide the government’s inability to address the real problems of the public school system behind a new ideological banner,” Elly Schlein, leader of the center-left Democratic Party, said. Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said local school authorities would coordinate the placement of students to avoid concentrations of non-Italian speaking pupils, while schools unable to comply would be eligible for waivers and additional language support funding. He said it would affect about 1,000 classrooms, or about 0.3 percent of the total nationwide. Teachers unions criticized what they called a lack of consultation and resources for the measure. School principals questioned how the measure could work in areas with large immigrant populations. “From an educational perspective, the problem is well founded and valid, but it is difficult to turn it into a practical solution,” said Antonello Giannelli, president of the National Association of Principals. According to data from the Ministry of Education, non-citizen students represented 11.2 percent of Italy’s school population in the 2022-23 academic year, while classes with more than 30 percent foreign students accounted for 7.6 percent of the total.
