Italy to ban burqa in schools, limit foreign pupils

Italy's conservative government on Thursday approved a new decree banning face-covering Islamic veils —  including burqas and niqabs —  in schools and putting a limit on the number of students with a poor command of the Italian language in each classroom.

Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni , called her Cabinet's measures "tools of common sense that do not divide," adding that they will help integration by avoiding what the right-wing leader called "ghetto classes."

She went on to say the rules would lead to all students receiving the "same opportunities."

Opposition parties and other critics have denounced the move by Meloni's government , with some calling it a "witch hunt” and others accusing the government of turning immigration into more of a political issue ahead of next year's general election.

The measures take effect right away but still require parliamentary approval within 60 days. Meloni's coalition currently holds a majority in the country's legislature.

The decree bans burqas and niqabs in schools but will continue to allow hijabs .

"When a woman — or worse, a young girl — is forced to cover her face, she is being denied fundamental rights and the very integration that is so often loudly championed," Meloni was quoted as saying in a television interview.

Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said the decree would affect about 1,000 classrooms, which come up to 0.3% of the nationwide tally.