Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has unveiled draft measures that would ban full-face coverings such as burqas and niqabs in schools, cap the share of foreign students per classroom and require some migrant parents to learn Italian. Announced on 20 September 2026 and due to reach Cabinet within weeks, the package must clear parliament within 60 days to become law. Indian nationals rank among the fastest-growing student communities in northern Italy, especially in Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. Education consultants warn that a stricter classroom cap could force municipal school boards to re-allocate Indian children or deny late-season admissions, complicating family reunifications under Italy’s Decreto Flussi quotas. While Italy already limits foreign pupils to 30 % of a class, Meloni’s proposal could tighten or formalise that ceiling nationally. The burqa/niqab provision is unlikely to affect the predominantly Sikh and Hindu Indian diaspora, yet legal experts note that any religious-attire ban may invite broader identity-verification mandates that trickle into residence-permit renewals. Indian companies sending managers on intra-corporate transfers should track the bill’s progress; spouses and children on dependent visas may face additional integration requirements such as mandatory language courses. Immigration counsel advise pre-booking school seats and preparing Italian-language documentation ahead of the 2027 academic year in case the rules pass.
Source: Business Standard
