Getty The children were rescued along with 380 others as they tried to get to Italy from Libya in May

FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Nuns had to come up with a compromise after parents protested outside the private primary school in Cagliari, Italy, and two families even moved their children to another school. The two migrant children, aged nine and 11, from Egypt and Ethiopia, were saved from the Mediterranean between Libya and Italy by charity vessels earlier this year. Their parents are believed to have drowned and two Italian lawyers, Marina Bardenzellu and Antonella Taccori have been entrusted to care for them by the Juvenile Court in Cagliari on the holiday island of Sardinia.

My father told me to stay away from these two children, he told me that they could have dangerous diseases Pupil

But soon after the lawyers enrolled them at the Via Barone Rossi school, run by the Daughters of Mercy, other pupils refused to socialise with them. Parents said they were concerned the pair could have brought unknown African diseases to Italy, despite medical certificates proving they were disease-free.

Getty Thousands of migrants have been rescued from the Mediterranean

One child told La Stampa: "My father told me to stay away from these two children, he told me that they could have dangerous diseases. "To me, however, they are very nice, they don't speak Italian but we understand each other in gestures. "And they are always smiling." Ms Taccori, spoke out against the the protesting parents. She said: "It is not acceptable that the parents pretend the medical report is not enough. "It does not happen when a child has a caught or cold - this shows the health concerns are hiding real racism."

Some parents are concerned the African refugees are a lot older than they say they are. A mother of a girl in their year, said: "We do not know how old the two African students are. "They have no documents, we do not like to think our daughters are in class with older boys. We do not feel safe." And one father, added: "They look older than they say they are. "There was a rumour they are at least 14 and that's why we asked to have separate bathrooms."

Google Maps The children are at a school in Cagliari, Sardinia, after coming on flimsy boats from Libya

Getty The Pope has welcomed migrants with open arms, but not all Italians feel the same

The nuns are concerned the story will affect the school's reputation and do not want racism anywhere near the institution. Sister Redeemed, a fifth grade teacher who is against the decision for separate bathrooms, said: "We have always welcomed everyone to our institution. "The children are all the same for us, in the many years of work here in Cagliari, we have never sent anyone away, even those who had no money to pay the tuition. "We do not understand the parents' protests. "This story has hurt us, we are concerned about it as racism is like a contagious virus and we will do everything to ensure pupils are never infected. "These children have already seen with their own eyes the horror of war. We must let them live in peace, we must let them feel welcome."

Heartbreaking images depict refugee children Fri, February 24, 2017 Photo report on the growing refugee crisis in Europe of children, some of who are orphans struggling to survive Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 23 A young boy cries at a makeshift camp for migrants and refugees at the Greek-Macedonian border near the village of Idomeni

The City Council has condemned forcing the children to use different bathrooms. Yuri Marcialis, executive council member for public education, sport and youth policies, told Express.co.uk: “I believe in the educational value of multiculturalism. “It presupposes tolerance, mutual respect and solidarity. Therefore, I strongly condemn the choice to force refugee children to use different bathrooms. “Cagliari, placed in the middle of Mediterranean sea, has been multicultural since the dawn of time and it is still one. “Most of the parents of other children didn't complain but the nuns came up with a compromise after a few parents protested. “The municipal administration have asked more information on that case, from the regional Department of Education, because clearly this is a subject of enormous importance. “Private schools in Italy have many rights and freedoms but they have to abide by the law and also to respect international human rights.”