Milan, Sept 20 (Reuters) – Italy is preparing to ban the use of veils in schools and limit the number of foreign students per class, said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday, emphasizing her right-wing credentials at an event for youths organized by her party.
Italy is among the European countries most exposed to the arrival of immigrants due to its location in the center of the Mediterranean, which makes immigration a controversial topic and a major challenge for successive governments.
The integration of immigrants, particularly those from Muslim-majority countries, remains a controversial issue in Italian politics and society. Debates on religious symbols, cultural integration, citizenship rules and immigration policy frequently polarize public opinion.
“Soon a measure will be presented at a meeting of the Council of Ministers to legally establish a maximum number of foreign students per class. It will also require that the parents of foreign students who face serious integration difficulties in the school system learn Italian and prohibit the use of burqas and niqabs in schools,” Meloni said at an annual gathering of the youth wing of her party, Brothers of Italy.
“If there is only one child in a class who does not understand Italian, that child will probably learn the language and quickly integrate with the help of classmates and teachers. However, if the number of children who do not understand the language becomes large — or even the majority —, this is no longer integration; it is neglect,” she added.
Meloni did not specify what the maximum number of foreign students per class would be.
Foreign students represent 11.6% of enrollments in Italian schools — almost 12 in every 100 students —, according to Fondazione ISMU, a research institution.
“It is necessary to go to school with the face uncovered, and in Italy no one, in the name of real or supposed tradition, can decide that a young girl should cover herself,” Meloni said.
