Tamils in Italy are people of ethnic Tamil ancestry who reside in Italy. Recent estimates indicate that around 25,000 Tamils from both Sri Lanka and India are living in Italy.[1][2]
Though it is not established when the migration of Tamil people to Italy started, Tamils were reported to have migrated to Milan during the 1980s.[3] More migrants came during the Sri Lankan Civil War, which commenced in 1983. It is estimated that Sri Lankan Tamils constitute at least a third of the Sri Lankan immigrants in Italy.[3]
The Tamil Diaspora is concentrated predominantly in Palermo, Catania, Milan, Reggio Emilia, Naples, Bologna and Lecce, where a number of cultural and linguistic organizations are based.[3]