Successfully Safe in Milan

Safety tips, advice, and resources we wish we knew as international students before coming to study abroad in Milan

By: Katie Kern and Claudia Wine

Traveling abroad to study and can be exciting and challenging for any student. While it comes with great rewards of the chance to experience a brand new way of life, you will still be a stranger in a strange world. The first few weeks of being abroad are exhilarating and while adjusting it can be easy to forget there still comes danger and risks when living in an unfamiliar place. Having a keen grasp on safety when coming to live in a new place can help create a smooth transition process and boost the amount of confidence people may have when living internationally. It always helps to use advice and information people who have been to Milan and been right in your shoes with the first-hand experience. Luckily we are two current international students studying abroad who want to help give you resources, advice, and information about how to successfully feel safe in your new fantastic home of Milano!

As we have both learned quickly, it is so important to know what resources people utilize to stay safe when living in Milan. The first information you need is the correct number to call the police, which in Italy is 112. An additional source to keep in mind is that your school can be a beneficial source for safety tips. We attend Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, and part of our orientation process was a safety briefing which they gave us some great tips as a new student abroad. Some general safety tips from the presentation were to make sure your backpack is always properly closed when walking around, remember it is not good to be alone at night and to take precaution when out late. They also gave us a form we were to fill out before we traveled anywhere so in case of an emergency during your travels they would know exactly where you are and would be able to assist you in the time of need quickly.

Another resource that may not be familiar to many international students is an organization known as the City Angels. The history of the City Angels begins in 1994 when Mario Furlan, a university professor that taught on motivation and personal growth, and created City Angels in an attempt to assist the marginalized and protect the victims of delinquency working hand in hand with the police. Currently, there are 580 active members of the City Angels serving Milan’s citizens and are easily recognizable because of their uniform, a blue beret, a symbol of the UN peacekeepers on their red jackets which you can see in the photo below.

According to their website, their mission statement is to help the citizens who are in need in any way they can to stay safe. They classify themselves as a “safe point of reference for the citizens and a deterrent for the bad guys,” they are there to intervene and make the people of Milan feel safe. City angels are well-trained volunteers who can help with manageable problems such as pickpocketing, robbery without weapons, small fights or harassment of women. As an international student, these people can be extremely reliable assets for many reasons. Part of their training is to learn English, and so if Italian is not your native tongue, they could be accommodating in the diffusion of conflict or confusion. The proof of this help was shown by a City Angel we were able to get direct contact with, Andrea Schirru a current City Angel, which he outlined an instance where there was a German citizen who was wandering around the city he states, “There was an obvious sense of confusion in the man’s eyes, I saw him ask for help and gain no insight and went to speak to him and realized he did not speak Italian. I became his interpreter and was able to help the man get successfully home, that is just a small instance in the day in the life of a City Angel.”

Another extremely valuable asset to the City Angels is that one of their primary area of patrol is central station. As an exchange student travel by train out of Centrale is widespread, and there may be times when you might be coming home at late hours feel unsafe, a City Angel would gladly escort you through the station to your train or accompany you safely home. We also asked Andrea Schirru, about other ways City Angels could help international students, and he stated “Along with all of our services to protect the citizens of Milan, we are also there to provide information and directions to people, and we will do it all with a smile on our face because all we want to do is help!” City Angels are such a priceless asset to the community and you should utilize the amazing services and protection they offer.

Aside from resources that are always available to you, we want to provide you tips on how to stay safe in everyday situations and to enter into the new country with an upper hand. Unfortunately, we have come across other abroad students who have been victims of pickpocketing, scams and other conflicts while living abroad. Although it is an adverse situation, the bright side is that invaluable lessons come along with these instances. One victim told us their story of pickpocketing on the train, along with tips on how it could have been prevented or how to react if this occurs. She stated, “I was looking at what train stop we were at, and I noticed someone’s hand was in my purse. I didn’t know what to do so I said “excuse me” to the woman. She immediately took her hand out of my purse and started yelling at me in Italian. I got off the train at the next stop. In the future, I need to make sure that I hold onto my purse and the make sure the zipper is not accessible to people.” Keeping an eye on personal belongings is critical in high populated areas. It is taught that that places such as the Duomo, train stations, and subways are the most high-risk places for pickpocketing. Always watch your belongings, especially in these congested areas when the risk is much higher for theft. Another common tactic for pickpockets is to work together. One person will create some diversion/distraction such as blowing bubbles or dressing up and singing while another is stealing without anyone noticing. It is easy to think that will never happen to you and hopefully, it does not, but it is essential to come in with those thoughts in the back of your mind.

This photo is an example of the information that SafeAround provides people on issues such as pickpocketing within

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