The Italian government has introduced a decree aimed at limiting the number of newly arrived migrant children in classrooms and banning the burqa and niqab in schools, prompting accusations that the measures are designed to appeal to far-right voters ahead of next year’s elections.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, defended the decree as “commonsense measures” intended to aid integration rather than sow division. She outlined the key provisions on social media, including a cap of 30% on students in a class who do not have sufficient Italian language skills, mandatory tools for language learning, and a prohibition on full-face veils in educational settings. Meloni’s announcement was a softer version of comments she made earlier this week at a Brothers of Italy youth event, where she expressed concern that Italian children risk becoming a minority in some classrooms and vowed to legally limit the number of foreign students per class.

The decree, scheduled to take effect in the 2027-28 school year, also includes provisions for referring parents of students who struggle with integration or language acquisition to social services. These parents would be required to participate in free literacy and Italian language courses, with noncompliance potentially resulting in fines of up to €1,000 ($1,090). Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara stated that the policy would impact approximately 1,000 classrooms, accounting for about 0.3% of the total nationwide.

Critics swiftly condemned the measures. Elly Schlein, leader of the Democratic Party, labeled the decree “shameful” and accused the government of being out of touch with the country’s true educational challenges, citing dilapidated school buildings, rising textbook costs, and low teacher pay. “Instead of addressing these issues, the government is targeting foreign children in classrooms,” she said. Human rights advocates linked the announcement to anticipated electoral strategy, suggesting Meloni is leveraging migrant-related concerns to counter the rise of a new far-right challenger.

Daniela Ionita of Italians Without Citizenship noted that a significant portion of the affected students are born in Italy but face obstacles to obtaining citizenship. She described the government's approach as manufacturing a crisis in response to mounting pressure from the far right. The government clarified that students born and raised in Italy, or those who have attended at least two years of nursery school or three years of schooling in the country, would be exempt from the new limits.

Political analyst Marco Tarchi of the University of Florence suggested that the decree was a tactical move by Meloni to regain support from voters drifting toward Futuro Nazionale (FN), an emerging far-right party led by Roberto Vannacci. FN has gained traction in polls, projecting an 8% vote share, surpassing some of Meloni’s coalition partners. Tarchi explained that many FN supporters are disillusioned former Brothers of Italy voters, frustrated by Meloni’s softened stances on the European Union and immigration since taking office. To recapture this constituency, Meloni may be adopting more hardline positions reminiscent of her time in opposition.