{"id":1465,"date":"2013-05-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-05-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/%20rroma.org\/10-05-2013-rroma-in-the-uk\/"},"modified":"2022-08-05T09:26:23","modified_gmt":"2022-08-05T08:26:23","slug":"10-05-2013-rroma-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/fr\/10-05-2013-rroma-in-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"10.05.2013 Rroma in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kann (2013) deconstructs \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe widespread myths about the Rroma commonly found in the British media. He \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tironically notes at the beginning that they, the Rroma, all have huge weddings, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tlive in caravans and are constantly thinking of a migration to England to live \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tat the expense of social welfare, and defines these views as being a media \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmyth. Most of the 300,000 British Rroma are sedentary. The nomadism normally ascribed \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tto them may partly be a cultural trait, but, but is mainly the consequence of seasonal \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twork and of political persecution. There is also a rampant myth that they are \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tintentionally unemployed based on the fact that they do not like to work and \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthat they are not willing to learn. Kann contrasts these stereotypes with Rroma \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsuccess stories of artists and academics. Rroma are even statistically \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tunder-represented in British prisons. British media is also confusing Irish \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTravellers with Kale Rroma. While the Irish Travellers came in 19th Century to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEngland as well as after the Second World War due to the thriving construction \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tindustry, the Kale-Rroma are in UK since the 16th Century. A second and third \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twave of immigrants arrived after the end of the Soviet bloc and later with the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\testablishment of the European Community. It was never a mass migration, as \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclaimed by polemical media. Rroma are not a burden on the British welfare but \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tan asset for the British society.<\/p>\n

During May and June, the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEnglish \u201cCommunity Channel\u201d will report on the life of Rroma and Travellers in \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe UK. The reports will document and portray both ordinary people as well as \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcelebrities from literature, art and science (Community Channel, 2013).<\/p>\n

Jay (2013) of the Daily \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMail reports on the plans of the European MEPs Jean Lambert to better link \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\timmigrants to social and health care. This is in contrast to the plans of Prime \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMinister David Cameron, who wants to cut social assistance for immigrants. The \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsomewhat racist article by Martin Jay begins with the generalizing statement: \u201cA Green Party MEP is demanding that immigrants who come to Britain to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbeg and commit crimes should be guaranteed the right to full state benefits and \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\teven be provided with police protection.\u201d The author this unjustly assumes \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthat all immigrants only come to the UK to beg and steal. Somewhat later, his statement \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ton hordes of Rroma, particularly women who harass people on the street, can \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tonly be described as sheer racism. Jay says: \u201cIn \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tparticular, she [Jean Lampert] wants the hoards [sic; hordes] of Roma Gypsies \u2013 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tin particular the women \u2013 who illegally harass people on the streets of central \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLondon to ‘not be excluded’ from social security benefits as ‘undocumented \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmigrants.\u201d That \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsuch defamatory statements can be made under the label of freedom of expression \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tis a scandal and shows a total lacks of respect for people. Later, Jay mixes, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe terms \u201cillegal immigrant\u201d and \u201cmigrant\u201d and finally equates them. He \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconjures the picture of a mass immigration of 50,000 Romanians and Bulgarians \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tper year up as soon as the freedom of movement comes into force, referring to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tforecasts from Migration Watch. These migrants, it is suggested, would draw \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsocial benefits. This article has nothing to do with objective journalism. It \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tis an affront to all members of minorities and supporters of humanism.<\/p>\n

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