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| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 109,968 (2016)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Lombardy | 30,000[2] |
 Lazio | [2] |
| Southern Italy | [2] |
| Languages | |
| English · Sinhala · Tamil · Italian | |
| Religion | |
| Theravada Buddhism · Hinduism · Roman Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Sri Lankan | |
There are over 100,000Sri Lankans in Italy. Many are permanent residents or have moved there in search of work.
Early sources show that Sri Lankans have had a presence in the areas of present-day Italy since theRoman times. According to historianPliny, four people from Sri Lanka visited the court of EmperorClaudius in 50 AD. There was another delegation from Sri Lanka into Rome during the era of EmperorJulian in 375 AD.[3] There were strong links between the two countries and Sri Lanka was known as 'Taprobane' to the Romans.
Sri Lankans started to migrate toItaly in the 1970s. Italy was attractive to the migrants due to perceived easier employment opportunities and entry, compared to other European countries.[2] The first immigration waves during the second half of the Eighties consisted mainly of Tamils, followed by Sinhalese at the beginning of the 1990s.[2]
In the late 1970s, Catholic women migrated to Italy to work in elderly homes. Many Sri Lankans have also illegally migrated to Italy.[citation needed] Admission acts also encouraged more Sri Lankans to migrate to Italy. For example, the Dini Decree in 1996 made it easier for Sri Lankan workers to bring their families to Italy. InRome,Naples andMilan, the Sri Lankans have built up "enlarged families", where jobs are exchanged among relatives and compatriots.[2]
Sociologist Enrica Morlicchio estimated in 1992 that2⁄3 of the Sri Lankan population in Italy wasSinhalese andTamils constituted1⁄3.[2] The major Sinhalese communities in Italy are located inLombardy (particularly Milan),Lazio (particularly Rome), Naples, andSicily (particularlyPalermo,Messina andCatania). Most Italian Sinhalese work as domestic workers. But they have also opened businesses such as restaurants, cleaning enterprises (e.g. Cooperativa Multietnica di PulizieSud-Est), call centres, video-shops, traditional food shops and minimarkets. Sinhalese are the majority of Sri Lankan Italians in most of Italy, and Sri Lankan Tamils contribute the majority of Sri Lankan Italians in Sicily.
The major community organisation representing Sri Lankans in Italy is theSri Lanka Association Italy. Smaller community and political organisation exist in areas with a sizable Sri Lankan population such as the Sri Lanka Association Florence, Coordinamento Tamil, Centro Culturale Tamil, Sri Lanka Women's Association Napoli and Associazione dei Tamil in Italia. Several other organizations are based in cities including Naples,Bologna,Lecce,Reggio Emilia etc.[2]
Regularly Residing: 109,968
