Rome: Italy will ban burqas and niqabs in schools and limit the number of foreign students per class, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced.

Speaking at a gathering of the youth wing of her Brothers of Italy party, Meloni said: "A measure will soon be presented to a cabinet meeting to legally establish a maximum number of foreign students per class. It also requires parents of foreign students facing serious difficulties integrating into the school system to learn Italian, and bans burqas and niqabs in schools."

Italy is a frontline country for migration, and integration is a major campaign issue ahead of a general election next year. A crackdown on the use of burqas in schools was called for in July by the National Future party, which is not part of the governing coalition but has risen sharply in the polls since launching in February.

While no law in Italy expressly bans burqas, a 1975 law prohibits garments that make identification difficult without justified reason. In 2008, Italy's highest administrative court clarified that full-face veils may be worn for religious or cultural reasons provided the face is revealed when identity verification is required. The limit on foreign students per class already exists under Italian law, with foreign students accounting for just under 12 percent of those enrolled.

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