Rome — Meloni Cabinet Bans Burqas, Caps Foreign Students in Schools

Italy's cabinet adopted a decree-law on Thursday that bans burqas and niqabs in schools and caps the share of non-Italian-speaking students in any classroom at 30 percent starting next year, according to Al Jazeera. Violations of either rule carry fines of up to 1,000 euros, or roughly $1,140, the outlet reported.

What does the decree actually prohibit?

The measure makes it illegal to wear a burqa or niqab inside schools, extending an existing face-covering restriction that already applies in some Italian public buildings. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni previewed the policy Sunday at a rally of the youth wing of her Brothers of Italy party, framing it as part of a broader push to standardize instruction in Italian. "This is the direction we want to continue to follow: a school that integrates without giving up on rules, that supports those who have more difficulties and that puts everyone in a position to start from the same point," Meloni wrote on X, according to Al Jazeera.

Who does the 30 percent cap bind, and when does it take effect?

The cap applies to non-Italian-speaking pupils per classroom and is scheduled to begin next school year, per the reporting. Because the measure was issued as a decree-law rather than ordinary legislation, it takes legal effect immediately but must be ratified by Italy's parliament within 60 days to remain in force. President Sergio Mattarella, whose signature is also required, had already signaled unease about erecting barriers to education before the cabinet vote, Al Jazeera reported, though the article does not specify what conditions or amendments he might seek.

How will schools enforce the classroom cap?

Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said local school authorities will coordinate student placements across a district to avoid concentrating non-Italian-speaking pupils in single classrooms, according to Al Jazeera. Schools that cannot meet the 30 percent threshold — for instance, in areas with dense immigrant populations — would be eligible for exemptions and additional language-support funding, Valditara said. The reporting does not detail how exemptions will be requested or how funding levels will be calculated, and Al Jazeera noted the minister said the rule would affect "about" an unspecified number of students, with the figure cut off in the available reporting.

Why is the government moving on this now?

Italy heads into a general election in 2027, and integration has become a central campaign issue for a country that remains a front-line entry point for Mediterranean migration, Al Jazeera reported. Opponents say the timing is not coincidental: the outlet reported that critics view the decree as an attempt to blunt the rising appeal of the National Future party (FN), led by former army general Roberto Vannacci, which has made schools a focal point of its campaign for what it calls "remigration." FN called for a crackdown on burqas in schools in July, according to the report.

What are opponents saying about the decree?

Elly Schlein, leader of the center-left Democratic Party, called it "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," Al Jazeera reported. Other opposition politicians accused Meloni of prioritizing culture-war politics over the practical needs of students and schools, though the article does not name additional officials or quote further rebuttals. The government's public position, laid out by Meloni and Valditara, is that the rules constitute "common sense" measures meant to accelerate language acquisition and give all students an equal starting point, per Al Jazeera's account of Meloni's X post.

What to watch

• Whether parliament ratifies the decree within the 60-day window required for decree-laws to remain in force.
• Whether President Mattarella signs the measure as written or presses for changes, given his stated wariness about barriers to education.
• How local school authorities implement Valditara's coordination plan for classroom placements once the 30 percent cap takes effect next year.
• Whether National Future and other opposition parties adjust their 2027 campaign messaging in response to the decree.
• Whether additional language-support funding materializes for schools granted exemptions from the cap.

The originating report is available at Al Jazeera.

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