External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Oct. 31 told Indian students in Milan, Italy, not to panic after a string of assaults on them in the northern region of the city. The Indian Consulate in Milan published an advisory but did not mention if the attacks were racially motivated.
Swaraj said she was monitoring the situation. She also said that other Indian students must be alerted about the areas to be avoided in the city. The Consulate General of India in Milan assured the students in Milan that the incidents have been taken up with higher authorities in Italy. In the advisory, students were told to keep in touch with each other and the consulate to ensure better safety.
The consulate general released his cellphone number for students to call in case they go through such incidents again.
Attack on Indian students in Milan : I have got the detailed report. Pls do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally. @cgmilan1
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 31, 2017
In two separate incidents, three students claimed that they were asked to go back to their country and were abused because of their color by the assaulters. They were also beaten with broken beer bottles. The latest attack took place on Oct. 29 while another one had taken place on Oct. 17.
The students also claimed that this was not the first time and that such incidents have been taking place for a few months.
Attack on Indian students in Milan pic.twitter.com/kY0qwfePm8
— India in Milan (@cgmilan1) October 30, 2017
The latest of the attacks was reported to have taken place during Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni’s visit to India. Gentiloni met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj, and spoke about the common interests that the two countries hold in issues related to tackling terrorism and climate change.