Presentation to policy makers. civil servants, other stakeholders

Tremlett, A. (Speaker)

School of Education, Languages and Linguistics

Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk

Description of Activity

Invited as a key speaker for the session on 'Gypsy, Roma & Traveller Communities in the UK: Strengthening Rights and Tackling the Hostile Environment'

Period	28 Nov 2024
Held at	Public policy exchange, United Kingdom
Degree of Recognition	National

Keywords

hostile environment
Minorities
racism
Gypsy, Roma and Travellers

Documents & Links

Overview Widespread racism against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities persists in the UK and such attitudes can often be reflected in discriminatory decision-making at the national and local levels. HOPE not hate polled 521 Conservative Party members in February 2024 and found that 49% held negative views of ‘Roma and Travellers'. A YouGov poll commissioned by Friends, Families and Travellers in 2016 found that: 45% of people would be uncomfortable with a Gypsy or Traveller person moving next door to them; 38% would be uncomfortable with their child meeting up with a Gypsy or Traveller child at their home; 33% would be uncomfortable with a family member marrying a Gypsy or Traveller person; and 34% would be uncomfortable having a Gypsy or Traveller person in their home, in either a social setting or as a tradesperson. A 2017 report by the Traveller Movement found that 91% of GRT people had experienced discrimination, with 77% having been victims of hate speech or hate crimes. A 2018 report found that 44% of people feel comfortable expressing anti-Gypsy sentiment, the highest number of respondents, with Islamophobia second at 22%. In May 2024, a High Court judge found sections of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 to be “incompatible” with the right of GRT communities to respect for private and family life under the European Convention on Human Rights, and granted a declaration of incompatibility. The 2022 Act increased the period that police could ban GRT communities from an area from three to 12 months, and gave officers the power to fine, arrest and imprison people living on roadside camps, as well as seize their homes. The judge accepted that the 12-month no-return period “places a disproportionate burden on Gypsies” and “expands the scope of the criminal penalties and, at the same time, makes it more difficult to comply with the law”, putting “Gypsies at a particular disadvantage”, as the maximum stay on a transit pitch is three months and the current lack of supply “renders it much less likely that the opportunity exists to move from one to another”. The judge also noted that the shortage of transit and permanent sites “has persisted for a long time”, despite the obligation on local authorities to provide accommodation on caravan sites for Gypsies in the Caravan Sites Act 1968. The new Labour government has pledged to “introduce a landmark Race Equality Act, to enshrine in law the full right to equal pay” for minority communities, “strengthen protections against dual discrimination and root out other racial inequalities.” A 2017 BBC investigation found that less than a third of pitches needed by GRT communities had been built, with many local authorities leaving unspent funds allocated for the creation of such resources. Speaking following the recent High Court judgment, Abbie Kirkby, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Friends, Families and Travellers, described the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act as being “part of a wider hostile environment against Gypsies and Travellers, particularly for families who have nowhere else to stop. In light of the various challenges faced by GRT communities, this symposium offers community representatives, human rights activists, local authorities, law enforcement and legal professionals, and other key stakeholders an invaluable opportunity to discuss challenges and examine what policies and strategies can be developed to strengthen the rights of GRT communities and tackle the hostile environment they face. Programme Understand the current challenges facing GRT communities with regard to accessing pitch sites Learn about and assess the new Labour government’s plans to improve protections for minority communities Develop strategies for how central government and local authorities can better ensure that GRT communities have access to lawful transit and permanent pitch sites Evaluate how the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 should be rewritten to better protect the right of Traveller and Gypsy communities to a private and family life Discuss the role of the media and politicians in advancing anti-GRT racism and exchange views on the strategies needed to turn the tide on hatred, prejudice and discrimination Formulate a comprehensive plan for tackling the hostile environment against GRT communities

Presentation to policy makers. civil servants, other stakeholders

Description of Activity

Keywords

Documents & Links

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