Introduction / History
South Asians have formed a large number of people in Italy. The Sri Lankans have become one of the biggest ethnic groups here. Italy is no longer a temporary place for South Asians to live but has become a permanent residence. The easing of immigration restrictions and the Italian economy doing well has encouraged many South Asians to come and live in Italy.

Large immigration to Italy from India has been more recent. Many Indians came to Italy in the early 1990s when the Italian government gave amnesty to illegal immigrants as they needed more workers.

Most Indians came from the Punjab and work in agriculture and on dairy farms. Some have become self-employed and have restaurants while others are in retail work to do with Italian tourism. About half of them live in agricultural regions particularly near Milan and Rome.

The Indians have usually been found to be hard working and have contributed well to the economy.

The Indians in Italy speak Hindi, Punjabi and Italian.

South Asian food is popular in restaurants in Bologna in Italy. Some South Asians have cricket teams and play cricket matches in the Bologna region.

What are their beliefs?
Most Indians in Italy are Hindus or Sikhs. There are many temples and the Sikhs have Gurdwaras.