Italy to Cap Foreign Pupils and Ban Face Coverings in Schools

Italy's ministers have agreed to cap the number of foreign pupils in each classroom and to ban the burqa and niqab in schools, according to the BBC, which reported the decision on Thursday. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the measures as "common-sense tools that do not divide but really help to integrate".

The New York Times reported that Meloni framed the classroom cap as a way to better integrate children who do not speak Italian, while critics accused her of trying to appease anti-immigrant sentiment. The two outlets agree on what was decided; they diverge on what it is for.

The Local Italy, which covers Italy for an English-speaking readership, devoted a separate analysis to what it called the real drivers behind the clampdown, noting the measures were trailed over the weekend before ministers formalised them. The wire does not record the parliamentary path or the timetable for either measure.