MELONI PLANS TO BAN BURQAS AND NIQABS IN ITALIAN SCHOOLS

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday that her government will ban the wearing of burqas and niqabs in schools. The plan, announced to the youth wing of her Brothers of Italy party in Rome, would also cap the number of foreign pupils in classrooms. Parents of foreign pupils with "serious difficulties integrating into the school system" would face compulsory Italian lessons, she said. Meloni told the crowd that "anyone who comes to Italy and wants to build their future here must learn our language, understand our culture, and respect our rules." She called it "the only serious way to welcome them," drawing a standing ovation.

Neither garment is explicitly banned in Italy at present, though a 1975 law prohibits garments that conceal identification in public without justified reason. The burqa covers the entire face and body, while the niqab leaves the eyes visible. Meloni did not mention the hijab, the headscarf worn by some Muslim women. Reports describe her government as Italy's longest-serving since the end of the Second World War. Once approved by ministers, the measure would need parliamentary approval within 60 days to become law, one report said.

Immigration is expected to be a central issue at Italy's next general election. The National Future party, positioned further to the right than Meloni's Brothers of Italy, called in July for a ban on burqas in schools. Reports said support for the party has risen in opinion polls since February. This has been described as a challenge to Meloni's party ahead of the vote. No date has been given for when the measure will go before parliament.