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Roma, Gypsies and Travellers

in the UK Martina Kalinová – 11 May 2006

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Structure of the lecture 1. Roma in Western Europe2. Minorities –

a) Phases of British Approach to minorities:b) Minority rights in the UKc) Figuresd) Roma - Racial × Ethnic × National group –

official recognition3. British nationality - British national feeling - a) UK Nationality

b) pluralism of identities4. Racism

Photo - Irish Travellers5. a) Types of Romany and TravellingCommunities in the UK5. b) R. & T. Communities - Terminology

Vardo - past and present6. British Roma´s features

Children - TravellersAppleby horsefair & fortune-teller

7. History8. Principal problems of Roma in the UK - CREstrategy 2004 - 2007

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1. Roma in Western Europe

preservation of travelling culture and Romany traditions

history without communist dictatorship, more democratic

European integration

similar approaches to Roma – primarily perceived aspart of the community of all travelling groups – both socialand ethnic (historically of all groups of vagabonds,wanderers and beggars) – “Roma, Gypsies, Travellers”(Council of Europe)

perception more as a social than as an ethnic group

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2. Minorities - a) Phases of British Approach to minorities:

1) before WW II – the rights of specificgroups were not fully recognised and no specialprotection had been given to particular sections of thesociety 2) after WW II (influx of immigrants and necessity tosolve this problem) – individualism; state does not care aboutneeds of special groups; assimilative pressure; difference= deficit; ethnicity of other groups not respected 3) the 1960s – promotion of equality – “citizenshipuniversalism” (problem of one group perceived as a problemof all people); ethnicity of other groups not fullyrespected; 1965 and 1968 Race Relations Acts 4) the 1970s – celebration of diversity; difference =value; diversity stressed more than commonality of people;1976 Race Relations Act – mentioned the existence of“racial groups” – i.e. official recognition of ethnic groups 5) the 1980s – multicultural approach (promotion ofequality, anti-discrimination, protection of minorities);“positive action” accepted by public opinion

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2. Minorities - b) Minority rights in the UK

a) as other HR – neither special legal regulation norconstitution (freedoms and rights – supported more by tradition than by law) – 1998Human Rights Act (implementing partially ECHR)

b) traditionally no special protection of minorities c) little centralised implementation of legislation and policy –

devolution (different legal and judicial system and public administration) and a bigpower of local authorities

d) flexibility and pragmatism of common law – possibility ofbetter absorption of ”foreign” customs, exemptions from some requirements of the lawfor some ethnic and religious groups (e.g. 1976 ”Crash Helmets” Act for Sikhs)

e) one of the first W. E. countries which gave up assimilation policy, one of thebest European anti-discrimination state policy and legislation

f) on the other hand – very firm immigration and asylum policy (asylum law -since 1993 (1996) Refugee and Asylum Seekers Act, this one and 2002 Act – todistinguish ”true” and ”economical” refugees – mainly Roma from EasternEurope)

g) immigration, asylum and race relations policy – élite-consensus –pragmatism more than idealism (effort to protect the public order, to prevent racialtensions – reason for establishment of anti-discrimination legislation)

h) position of Roma in British society and their situation – possible to identify according to the approach of governmental institutions to them

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2. Minorities - c) Figures• 2001 census – 9% of ethnic minorities in the UK

• There are no reliable data about numbers and composition of ethnic minorities, Gypsies/Roma particularly – estimations

• officially: twice-yearly counting of caravans and their

inhabitants (England and Scotland)

• census (1991, 2001): no ”Roma/Gypsy” category

• non-officially: Council of Europe (1987) 300,000 (200,000 in houses) MRG (using 1991 census data) 90 – 120,000 R/G (0.16 -

0.2% of British population/ most of all – Indians - 1.5%)

J.-P. Liégeois (for Council of Europe, 1995) 90 – 120,000 R/G D. Kenrick (1999) 90 – 120,000 R/G L. Clements (2002) ”no more than 300,000” Travellers CRE (2003) used the number of 300,000 in its Strategy

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2. Minorities - d) Roma - Racial × Ethnic × National group – official

recognition Legally binding definition of national, ethnic or racial group – case law – Mandlav. Dowel Lee judgement (1983) – Roma/Gypsies mentioned.

Recognised as a racial group in law – Romany Gypsies in 1988 (CRE v Duttonjudgement), Irish Travellers (in England and Wales) in 2000 (O'Leary v Allied Domecq).

Other groups, such as Scottish Travellers, defined by their ethnic or national origins,but not recognized as a racial groups. Scottish Parliament recommended – should be regarded as a racialgroup in framing policies and legislation in Scotland.

CRE 2003: racial group = defined by 1 or more of these characteristics – colour,race, nationality or ethnic or national origin, according to 1976 RRA.

The term “racial” is often used as a synonym to “ethnic”, “nation” or “national” in English – it hasnot such negative connotation as in other European languages (Nazi legislation) – see “Race Relations Acts”.

Roma, Gypsies (and Travellers) – the most disadvantaged, marginalised andvulnerable ethnic group, living in the worst conditions (CRE, 2003).

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3. British nationality - British

national feeling - a) UK Nationality specific type – multi-ethnic nationhood, individualism,empty concept of citizenship (several types), elasticnationality (Joppke) “Britain = four nations country” – devolution,promotion of own nationality, culture and identity againstEnglish dominance (Welshmen, Scots, Irish) other nations and ethnic groups have also promotedtheir specific identity and characteristic features – otherindigenous groups (e.g. Manx-speakers), former colonialcitizens, immigrants, asylum seekers, guest-workers “Englishmen – isolationists and somewhat introverts”(Cinnirella) More individualistic identity – island isolationism,education, long tradition of democracy and liberalism (laissez-faire not social state), freedom of individual = one of the mainvalues “uncertainty of British identity has been solved byusing an “ethnic marker”, which was in fact racial, based onbirth and ancestry” (Joppke) today – globalisation, internationalisation, crisis of the

ethnically homogenous “nation state”, demands for redefining of the concept of nationality and citizenship

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3. British nationality - British national feeling - b) pluralism of

identities

Identity of a certain British part (country) prevailsamong the “UK-dians” (England, W., S., I.)

Identities at Roma: 1. Identity of family

2. Identity of tribe, clan 3. Identity of part of GB 4. Identity of the UK and of (European) Romany nation

(Cinnirella, Okely, IOM documents)

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4. Racisma) “negative nationalism”, racism, xenophobia, discrimination,victimisation – mainly Travellers are often victims

b) representative poll by MORI in Engl. (2003): prejudicesagainst Gypsies and Travellers – greater than against lesbiansand gay men, other ethnic minorities and people with disabilities

c) many newspaper articles manifest the existence of hatred toTravellers (e.g. Guardian) – often villagers protest againTravellers staying in their area (“nimbyism” = “not in my backyard”), there have been racially motivated attacks and murders

d) on the other hand - the mass-media – have substantiallycontributed to worse situation of minorities (Cinnirella)

e) anti-discrimination training and legislative and politicalchanges have made overt expressions of racism more difficult –new, hidden ways have been found (New Right)

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Photo - Irish Travellers

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5. a) Types of Romany and Travelling Communities in the UK

Nomadic ethnic groups1) The Gypsies1.1) The Gypsies/ Roma

a) the Gypsies/ Roma (Hungarian origin) – England, mostly living inhouses, 2,000 persons

b) the Romany chals ( = Romani chals = Romanichels =Romanies) – England, South Wales, one-half living in houses, 63,000 persons

c) the Kalé – North Wales, mostly living in houses, 1,000 personsd) the Roma (East European origin, mostly came after 1989) – for

example “the Kalderacha“, “the Lovara“, ...1.2) The Gypsies/ Irish Travellers ( = Minceirs, Pavee) – UK, smallnumber living in houses, 19,000 persons (2,000 persons in Northern Ireland),language shelta = gammon1.3) The Gypsies/ Scottish Travellers ( = Nawkens) – Scotland, England,small number living in houses, 20,000 persons, language cant1.4) The Gypsies/ Welsh Travellers – “Kalé“ are sometimes called so

Other nomadic groups2) The New (Age) Travellers ( =”Hippies“) – 7,000 – 35,000 persons3) Fairground families (or Showpeople) – 21,000 – 25,000 persons4) Circus families – 2,000 persons5) The Bargees and other families living on waterways (boats) – 500persons

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5. b) R. & T. Communities - Terminology

“Rom”, pl. “Roma” – mainly since 1971, rare usage bynon-Roma people“Traveller” – any person living a nomadic lifestyle,neutral term“Gypsies and Travellers”, “Roma, Gypsies,Travellers” – often used for designation of all groups(CRE, governmental institutions, Council of Europe)“Tinkers”, “Itinerants”, ... – older appellations forTravellers, negative connotations

“Gypsy” ( = “Gipsy”, “gipsy”,“gypsy”) – stands for:

1. person of a Romany origin2. any Traveller (Official definition

of the term “Gypsy” – in: 1968 “Caravan Sitesand Control of Development Act”, andjudgement to “Greenwich LBC v. Powell”(House of Lords, 1988). It results from them that:“Gypsy” = any person living a nomadic/travellinglifestyle, irrespective of her/his racial or ethnicorigin. Judgement to “CRE v. Dutton” (the Courtof Appeal, 1988): “Gypsies” =, national group inaccordance with the 1976 RRA,; in theamendment – the term “Gypsy” can be used fordesignation of any person travelling in a motorvehicle and living a nomadic way of life, in thebroader sense of the word).

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Vardo - past and present

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6. British Roma´s featuresa) Identity geographical division – “true”, “real” Gypsies

(colour, origin, ...) disputes with New Age Travellers code of cleanliness

b) Housing, travelling travelling × non-travelling × sedentarised

Roma/Travellers vardo × caravan legal × illegal × private caravan sites

c) Cradle of Romany emancipation andRomany holocaust research 1960s – Kenrick, D.; Puxon. G.: The Destiny

of Europe’s Gypsies. Heinemann 1972 1971 – First World Romany Congress,

London, IRU

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Children - Travellers

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Appleby horsefair & fortune-teller

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7. History

before Celts Irish Travellers in Ireland1505 first reference about Roma in Britain – considered to be Egyptians16 – 19 cent. emergence and development of Scottish Travellers17 – 18 cent. Kalé from England to Wales1783 the end of validity of the last overtly anti-Roma British Act19 cent. legal regulations; permissions to Gypsy trades19/20 cent. modern societies in EuropeWW 1, 2 participants of the fights, women in factories, loss of their homes1960s international institutions´ interests; emancipation movement; emergence of New Travellers1968 ”Caravan Sites Act”1971 1st World Romany Congress (Orpington n. L.)1976” Race Relations Act” (replacement of 1965, 1968 Acts) – two kinds of discrimination1994 ”Criminal Justice and Public Order Act”1998 ”Traveller Law Reform Movement”; ”Human Rights Act”– ECHR2000 Race Relations (Amendment) Act (Council Directive 2000/ 43/ EC)2003 suggestion for ”Traveller Law Reform Bill”; Race Relations Act 1976 (Amendment) Regulations

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8. Principal problems of Roma in the UK - CRE strategy 2004 - 2007

* race relations and public attitudes

* accommodation

* education

* employment

* health

* criminal justice