Police are brought in to Italy's largest Chinatown to investigate attacks against Arab immigrants
Chinese immigrants in one of Europe’s biggest Chinatowns were accused of carrying out vigilante attacks on other foreigners as police conducted raids on Friday in the Tuscan town of Prato.
Tens of thousands of Chinese live in Prato, a satellite town of Florence, with many working in sweatshop conditions in factories that produce clothing, handbags and fashion accessories.
Italian police are investigating the activities of a shadowy cultural association called “The City of the White Deer” and suspect that its members have been responsible for attacks on North African immigrants and Roma gypsies who they accuse of being responsible for thefts and burglaries.
The head of the association allegedly organised “vigilante activity” against Arab immigrants and Roma people even though there was scant evidence that they had committed any crimes, police said.
Officers raided nine locations as part of the investigation into racially-motivated violence and criminal association, seizing iron bars and baseball bats.
Tensions have been high all week among the Chinese community, which is accused of showing little interest in integrating into Italian society.
On Wednesday hundreds of Chinese migrants clashed with riot police in nearby Sesto Fiorentino, throwing bottles and stones. Police responded with baton charges.
The immigrants were angry over health and safety checks on textile factories carried out by the authorities and complained of unfair harassment.
But the Italian says that illegal immigration, unsafe work practises and tax evasion are rife in the Chinese community in Tuscany.
Enrico Rossi, the governor of the region, said on Friday that Chinese migrants evaded “at least” a billion euros in tax each year by sending money back to their relatives in China without declaring their earnings.
"We don't want to point fingers at the whole Chinese community but I want tax police to carry out more checks," he said.
Mr Rossi has previously said that some of the garment factories have links to Chinese organised crime. Concerns over overcrowded working conditions came to a head in 2013 when a fire broke out in a clothing factory in Prato, leaving seven people dead.
The blaze broke out in a loft where migrant workers slept. They were unable to escape because there were bars on the windows of the building.
While Prato is officially home to around 15,000 Chinese, the authorities believe the real number could be as high as 50,000.
Many are suspected of being illegal immigrants who do not declare themselves to the authorities.
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