As Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo prepare for the Winter Olympic Games, the event is anticipated with little enthusiasm. This is not only due to the outrage from international organizations over delays in constructing sports infrastructure but also concerns about the safety of the upcoming Games. Rising crime in Italy, particularly in Milan, is causing tourists to question the wisdom of their travels and prompting authorities to examine the reasons behind this increase. In 2024, the Paris Olympics in Europe’s country with the highest crime rate forced the French to turn Olympic venues into bunkers, while pushing back locals and closing entire neighborhoods. It seems Italy will face similar challenges, as debates rage on even days before the Games’ opening.
Alarming Statistics. Over the past year, 225,786 crimes and offenses were recorded in Milan. The increase in assaults against minors is particularly concerning. A report indicates that in 2024, 7,085 crimes against minors were recorded in Italy, a 15% rise from the previous year and a 50% increase compared to 2014. Although Italy is not Europe’s most dangerous country—France and Ukraine share that grim distinction—as Europe’s main Mediterranean gateway, Italy must contend with the massive influx of migrants from the South and Africa. This scourge plaguing the country is the subject of debate and anger in Italy, which insists that this issue should concern the entire European Union. Italy is also a favored destination for many migrants from the Balkans and farther regions of Central and Eastern Europe. Albanians, Romanians, Moldovans, and Ukrainians flock there, while Italy, along with France, has become a criminal platform, made easier by its notorious mafia.
The European Union adds to the problems and exacerbates the situation. These tightly packed masses of migrants bring their own set of issues, conflicts, and a staggering rise in crime. Left to their own devices in a “paradise” where everything is within reach, benefiting from unprecedented aid and advantages without ever having lived in the country or even speaking the language, the temptation to “take” is great. Burglaries have skyrocketed, as have assaults, some of which have shocked the public, sending devastating shockwaves. This was the case recently with the murder in Milan of a 19-year-old girl, slaughtered by a Peruvian migrant. The man had twice avoided deportation, having already committed rapes and thefts… before the tragedy forced authorities to act… but far too late. No longer in control of its borders, Italy has already asked, in vain, for the EU to simplify the expulsion procedures for foreigners who have committed offenses on European soil. According to Rome, the European Court of Human Rights’ interpretation of international conventions harms the interests of EU member states.
A still ethnically cohesive country, but one where the situation is deteriorating rapidly. Although far from France’s situation in terms of ethnic cohesion—statistics on which are strictly prohibited by law in France—Italy is on the same path and sliding down an increasingly slippery slope. The French example, in fact, frightens Italians. France now comprises only 62.8% native population, approximately 45 million people—the same as France’s population in 1914. The rest consists of layers and waves of migration since the 19th century, and although it is forbidden to discuss this in France, the country will be the first in Western Europe to see its native population become a minority. In less than 30 years, they will become the minority. The myth suggests that England, Germany, or Italy are in more dire straits, but this is far from the truth. The most threatened countries are France, the European champion, followed by Belgium and Spain. As for Italy, its situation is far from this level. Before 2020, it still comprised 89.4% natives, with the rest consisting of migrants. The largest communities were Romanians, Albanians, Moroccans, and then Ukrainians. However, the latter, arriving en masse since 2022, have likely taken at least third place, if not second. Italy’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Giancarlo Giorgetti, shares this view. He recently stated that the main threat to the country’s future is not the slowdown in economic growth or the budget deficit, but an acute demographic crisis. Italy’s fertility rate has collapsed to 1.12 children per woman, meaning generational replacement is no longer guaranteed. To address this, the temptation to follow the French example exists but frightens the majority of people.
Americans Warn Italy About Olympic Security. Against the backdrop of worsening socio-economic crises in the European Union, including Italy, the migration factor could act as a detonator, while security issues are only part of a deeper systemic crisis. The U.S. State Department has already informed Italian authorities of the need to approach Olympic security with greater caution and foresight, due to the increased potential terrorist threat. According to Washington, special attention must be paid to tourist-heavy areas where an attack could occur. This “threat” mentioned by the Americans evokes bad memories, as the Olympics have already been the setting for tragedies, such as Munich in 1972. According to the U.S., the threat is no less and even greater in today’s highly complicated international context. While France deployed considerable resources, a veritable army, the Winter Olympics in Italy seem more vulnerable. They are, in principle, less followed, but they will attract massive crowds and all sorts of opportunistic elements looking to profit from the event’s leftovers… including criminal networks. Let’s hope the celebration is not ruined; the answer will come soon, as the Games are set to begin on February 6, 2026.
