An editorial on how the UK TV presents Roma and Travellers.
– Patronising and totally false: my despair at TV about Gypsies. In: The Guardian. 11.02.2019. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/feb/11/patronising-and-totally-false-my-despair-at-tv-about-gypsies-a-very-british-history-bbc [link-preview url=”https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/feb/11/patronising-and-totally-false-my-despair-at-tv-about-gypsies-a-very-british-history-bbc”]
More on the plans of the UK government to criminalise illegal camping by travellers.
– Why the government has a ‘lazy and populist’ approach towards unauthorised traveller sites. In: Environment Journal. 08.02.2019. https://environmentjournal.online/articles/why-the-government-has-a-lazy-and-populist-approach-towards-unauthorised-traveller-sites/
– Travellers say they ‘live in fear’ as government plans tough new powers for unauthorised encampments. In: Get Surrey. 08.02.2019. https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/travellers-say-live-fear-government-15797230 [link-preview url=”https://environmentjournal.online/articles/why-the-government-has-a-lazy-and-populist-approach-towards-unauthorised-traveller-sites/ “]
A new plan in the UK foresees the possibility of jailing travellers for setting up illegal camps.
REALLY???
– CAMP CRACKDOWN. Travellers could be jailed for setting up unauthorised camps under new plans from Home Secretary Sajid Javid. In: The Sun. 07.02.2019. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8370697/travellers-jailed-illegal-camps-new-plans-sajid-javid/ [link-preview url=”https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8370697/travellers-jailed-illegal-camps-new-plans-sajid-javid/”]
There seems to be change in the air. For the first time, politicians were condemned for racism against Roma. In this case, the leaders of the youth fraction of the SVP, the rightist populist party in Switzerland were condemned for a cartoon against Roma travellers.
A first, and hopefully, this will slow down these kind of actions.
– «Kritik ist erlaubt, aber mit Augenmass». In: Der Bund. 14.01.2019. https://www.derbund.ch/bern/kanton/chefs-der-jungen-svp-bern-wegen-wahlplakat-verurteilt/story/20109238
– Roma-Organisation und GfbV begrüssen Verurteilung der Jungen SVP Bern wegen Rassismus. In: GfbV. 14.01.2019. https://www.gfbv.ch/de/medien/medienmitteilungen/junge-svp/ [link-preview url=”https://www.derbund.ch/bern/kanton/chefs-der-jungen-svp-bern-wegen-wahlplakat-verurteilt/story/20109238 “]
Basel opened a new camping site for travellers recently, and thus closed the old provisional site. Well, not quite … Seems that some travellers were allowed to stay there.
– Zoff um ehemaligen Fahrenden-Platz. In: Tele Basel. 03.01.2019. https://telebasel.ch/2019/01/03/zoff-um-ehemaligen-fahrenden-platz/ [link-preview url=”https://telebasel.ch/2019/01/03/zoff-um-ehemaligen-fahrenden-platz/”]
An unrecognised minority in Scotland in spite of its long presence there. Studies in the Irish Travellers have shown that they too form nowadays a distinct ethnic group, even though their history is shorter. So 900 years should be sufficient …
– The last “acceptable” prejudice. In: The Overtake. 27.12.2018. https://theovertake.com/~beta/scottish-travellers-in-crisis/ [link-preview url=”https://theovertake.com/~beta/scottish-travellers-in-crisis/”]
Better not be Rom or Traveller in the UK if you want to go to a pub …
– Gypsies and Travellers ‘regularly’ face discrimination in pubs, says charity. In: Morning Advertiser. 10.12.2018. https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2018/12/10/Gypsies-and-travellers-regularly-face-discrimination-in-pubs-says-charity [link-preview url=”https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2018/12/10/Gypsies-and-travellers-regularly-face-discrimination-in-pubs-says-charity”]
Roma and travellers associations have filed a complaint against the police in the Netherlands for discrimination. They accuse the police of portraying them and handling them as a criminal organisation.
– Travellers file police complaint against mayors for discrimination. In: Dutch News. 10.12.2018. https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2018/12/travellers-file-police-complaint-against-mayors-for-discrimination/ [link-preview url=”https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2018/12/travellers-file-police-complaint-against-mayors-for-discrimination/”]
The EU doesn’t approve the way Switzerland is treating its Roma minority. The EU reciew of the 4th Report by Switzeralnd on the Framework Agreement for the Protection of National Minorities is scathing on Switzerland. Amongst others, it says Switzerland needs to take concrete actions against racism and hate speech; improve the infrastructure for travellers; cease discrimination of foreign Roma travellers; tell Switzerland that their criteria for recognition of the Roma minority need to be reviewed; and asks the country to stop racial profiling…
Welcome to the “cradle of democracy”…
The Geselschaft für Bedrohte Völker Press communiqué: https://mailchi.mp/0d3d78fe0120/medienmitteilung-gutachten-des-europarats-zeigt-handlungsbedarf-zur-situation-von-jenischen-sinti-und-roma?e=107f67f2cd
And the EU Report: https://www.eda.admin.ch/dam/eda/de/documents/aussenpolitik/voelkerrecht/4-gutachten-schweiz-schutz-nationaler-minderheiten-31.05.18_de.pdf
And the whole overview from the Swiss administration: https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/de/home/aussenpolitik/voelkerrecht/internationale-uebereinkommenzumschutzdermenschenrechte/rahmenuebereinkommen-europarat-schutz-nationaler-minderheiten.html [link-preview url=”https://mailchi.mp/0d3d78fe0120/medienmitteilung-gutachten-des-europarats-zeigt-handlungsbedarf-zur-situation-von-jenischen-sinti-und-roma?e=107f67f2cd “]
After many years, the city of Basle in Switzerland finally opened a camping site for travellers in the city.
It took time!
– Nach langem Hin und Her: Basel-Stadt weiht ersten fixen Standplatz für Fahrende ein. In: BZ Basel. 29.11.2018. https://www.bzbasel.ch/basel/basel-stadt/nach-langem-hin-und-her-basel-stadt-weiht-ersten-fixen-standplatz-fuer-fahrende-ein-133782286
– Platz für Fahrende. In: Basler Zeitung. 30.11.2018. https://bazonline.ch/basel/stadt/platz-fuer-fahrende/story/21578188
– Erster Fahrendenplatz in Basel-Stadt eröffnet. In: Smopo. 29.11.2018. http://smopo.ch/erster-fahrendenplatz-in-basel-stadt-eroeffnet/ [link-preview url=”https://www.bzbasel.ch/basel/basel-stadt/nach-langem-hin-und-her-basel-stadt-weiht-ersten-fixen-standplatz-fuer-fahrende-ein-133782286 “]
A new book highlights the stereotypes on Roma between the their arrival in Europe and now.
– From 18th Century ‘kidnap’ to Big Fat Gypsy Weddings: New book tackles negative stereotypes of travellers. In: The Yorkshire Post. 27.11.2018. https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/from-18th-century-kidnap-to-big-fat-gypsy-weddings-new-book-tackles-negative-stereotypes-of-travellers-1-9464419 [link-preview url=”https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/from-18th-century-kidnap-to-big-fat-gypsy-weddings-new-book-tackles-negative-stereotypes-of-travellers-1-9464419″]
Seems that UK is not exactly the right place for travellers nowadays…
– Gypsy and traveller families ‘hounded out’ of areas in act of ‘social cleansing’ as councils impose sweeping bans. In: The independent. 19.11.2018. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gypsy-traveller-families-people-sweeping-ban-land-social-cleansing-england-a8637741.html [link-preview url=”https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gypsy-traveller-families-people-sweeping-ban-land-social-cleansing-england-a8637741.html”]
An exhibition in Paris is devoted to the “internment” of Roma and travellers in France during the Vichy Régime.
– Die Internierung der „Nomaden“ – eine französische Geschichte. In: Deutschlandfunk. 17.11.2018. https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/ausstellung-in-paris-die-internierung-der-nomaden-eine.691.de.html?dram:article_id=433352 [link-preview url=”https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/ausstellung-in-paris-die-internierung-der-nomaden-eine.691.de.html?dram:article_id=433352″]
Another side effect of the upcoming Brexit: Travellers may be at risk of deportation if they do not possess the right documents…
No comments
– Roma gypsies warned over risk of deportation after Brexit without paperwork proving residency. In: The Independent. 01.11.2018. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-roma-gypsies-travellers-windrush-immigration-paperwork-a8613606.html [link-preview url=”https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-roma-gypsies-travellers-windrush-immigration-paperwork-a8613606.html”]
What can you say when anti-Roma Nazi posters in German (yes) are plastered around a village in the South of the UK…
– Barns Green anti-gypsy posters spark police probe. In: BBC News. 08.10.2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-45786710
– Nazi protest at Gypsies in Sussex village. In: The Times. 10.10.2018. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/nazi-protest-at-gypsies-in-sussex-village-gcxgpztgq
– Gypsies and travellers condemn Barns Green posters. In: The Argus. 11.10.2018. https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/16975701.gypsies-and-travellers-condemn-barns-green-posters/
– VILLAGE IDIOTS. ‘Anti-traveller’ posters written in German plastered all over quiet Sussex village. In: The Sun. 09.10.2018. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7451150/racist-anti-traveller-posters-written-in-german-plastered-all-over-quiet-sussex-village/ [link-preview url=”https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-45786710 “]
Roma travellers in Switzerland have been unwelcome lately. An article about them and about the work of an association of Sinti and Roma and its president who mediate between travellers, locals, and authorities.
– Er erklärt ausländischen Fahrenden die Schweiz. In: Berner Zeitung. 02.10.2018. https://m.bernerzeitung.ch/articles/5bb26d1fab5c3743ef000001 [link-preview url=”https://m.bernerzeitung.ch/articles/5bb26d1fab5c3743ef000001″]
A judge in Fribourg (Switzerland) dismissed the complaint against racism that was lodged against 5 professional associations (three from Fribourg, two overall from Switzerland) who had advertised last year in the papers against giving work to Travellers and Roma. In these pamphlets, travellers and Roma were accused of shoddy work and practises, if not of outright fraud.
This highlights the difficulty in Switzerland to win such cases.
– Plainte pour discrimination raciale rejetée à Fribourg. In: Swissinfo. 17.08.2018. https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/plainte-pour-discrimination-raciale-rejetée-à-fribourg/44333494 [link-preview url=”https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/plainte-pour-discrimination-raciale-rejetée-à-fribourg/44333494″]
The town of Solihull, near Birmingham (UK), has published the costs of clean-up of travellers camps on the commune in the last two years. Not pretty. Bad to flout the costs, allowing the press to seize the opportunity to bash travellers, but also bad that such high costs are needed in the first place.
A better solution needs to be found.
– The total cost of every traveller camp clean-up in Solihull revealed. In: The Birmingham Mail. 18.08.2018. https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/total-cost-every-traveller-camp-15033513 [link-preview url=”https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/total-cost-every-traveller-camp-15033513″]
During the night of the 29th of July, a shooting wounding 7 people was attributed by several newspapers to Roma travellers.
It turns out this was absolutely not the case. A very good analysis of the true facts.
– Tirs de Beaune : comment une rumeur a accusé à tort les gens du voyage. In: Le Monde. 16.08.2018. https://abonnes.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2018/08/16/tirs-de-beaune-comment-une-rumeur-a-accuse-a-tort-les-gens-du-voyage_5343167_4355770.html#xtor=AL-32280270? [link-preview url=”https://abonnes.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2018/08/16/tirs-de-beaune-comment-une-rumeur-a-accuse-a-tort-les-gens-du-voyage_5343167_4355770.html#xtor=AL-32280270?”]
Discrimination against Travellers in the UK is still prevalent.
– ‘People don’t think of us as equal’ – Gypsies speak out about discrimination in Norfolk. In: Eastern Daily Press. 31.07.2018. http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/norfolk-gypsies-speak-out-about-discrimination-1-5630844 [link-preview url=”http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/norfolk-gypsies-speak-out-about-discrimination-1-5630844″]
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