In recent years, Chinese tourists have increasingly fallen victim to theft and violent crime while traveling in Europe, raising serious concerns over safety and public security.
According to multiple media reports, a Chinese tour group was having lunch near the Leaning Tower of Pisa when, in just 20 to 30 minutes, their tour bus parked outside the restaurant was broken into. Luggage and luxury goods on board were looted, with total losses estimated in the hundreds of thousands of yuan (about thousands of US dollars).
Statistics show that over 95% of the group members were traveling abroad for the first time, with many being elderly.
This was not the first such incident. Back in July 2023, a Chinese tour group in Marseille was attacked when their entire coach was smashed with stones by masked assailants.
Five to six Chinese tourists on board were injured in the attack, which made headlines both in China and internationally.
Why is public security in Europe deteriorating?
First, the most critical social factor: immigration.
In 2024 alone, the 27 EU member states received over 1 million asylum applications.
Although slightly down from the 1.14 million in 2022, the number remains alarmingly high.
This means that in virtually every European city and on every street, more people are arriving to seek livelihoods, while social tensions rise as many struggle to integrate.
Next, the economic dimension.
Despite the growing number of immigrants, Europe's economy has not improved. On the contrary, rising welfare burdens, high unemployment, and widening wealth gaps have intensified social conflict in many cities.
High unemployment, resource allocation anxiety, and deep cultural rifts—these factors combined are driving crime to surge like water from an open tap: impossible to contain.
