Romani people in the United Kingdom

Last updated

Romani people in the United Kingdom
Octavius Oakley12.jpg
A portrait of a Romani woman by English painter Octavius Oakley
Total population
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom: ≈ 225,000 – 0.4% (European Commission estimate, 2012) [1] [2]
Flag of England.svg England: 99,122 – 0.2% (2021) [3]
Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland: Unavailable
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales: 1,842 – 0.06% (2021) [3]
Northern Ireland: 1,529 – 0.08% (2021) [4]
Regions with significant populations
North West England and Greater London
Languages
Angloromani, Scottish Cant, Kalá
Religion
Christianity, Romanipen

Romani people have been recorded in the United Kingdom since at least the early 16th century. There are estimated to be around 225,000 Romani residing in the UK. This includes the Romanichal, Kale (Welsh Roma), Scottish Lowland Roma and a sizeable population of Roma from Continental Europe, who immigrated into the UK in the late 1990s/early 2000s and after EU expansion in 2004. [5] [6] They are considered part of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) community. [7]

Contents

England

Romanichal (commonly known as "English Gypsies") are a Roma subgroup in England. The first Roma arrived in England in the 16th century. Romanichal predominantly live in England, but also in South Wales, Northeast Wales and the Scottish Borders. [8] Most Romanichal speak English and Angloromani. There exists a north–south divide between Romanichal in Southern and Northern England, with the two groups' dialects differing in pronunciation and vocabulary. [9]

Wales

Kale are a Roma subgroup in Wales. The first Roma arrived in Wales in the 16th century. [10] [11] [12] Kale predominantly live in the Welsh-speaking parts of Northwestern Wales and speak Kalá (Welsh Romani). The Roma population in Wales is estimated to be around 3,000.

Scotland

According to the Scottish Traveller Education Programme, an estimated 20,000 Scottish Roma and Travellers live in Scotland. [13] Amongst the Roma in Scotland are the Scottish Lowland Roma (commonly known as "Lowland Gypsies"), Romanichal and Roma who have recently migrated from other subgroups in Continental Europe.

The first recorded reference to "the Egyptians" appears to date from 1492, during the reign of James IV, when an entry in the Book of the Lord High Treasurer records a payment "to Peter Ker of four shillings, to go to the king at Hunthall, to get letters subscribed to the 'King of Rowmais'". Two days after, a payment of twenty pounds was made at the king's command to the messenger of the 'King of Rowmais'. [14]

Northern Ireland

Around 2,500 Romani lived in Northern Ireland in 2016. Although Irish Travellers were sometimes incorrectly referred to as “gypsies” in the past, they are not Roma. Roma in Northern Ireland include recent Roma migrants from Continental Europe (primarily Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic) and their descendants, and Irish Roma that have existed in Ireland for centuries due to historical migration. Although they mixed with Irish Travellers and settled Irish natives, these Irish Roma have preserved their Romani identity and culture across generations. [15] [16] [17]

Demographics

Country of birth (2021 census, England and Wales) White Roma by Country of Birth, 2021 Census.png
Country of birth (2021 census, England and Wales)

Religion

Romani people in the UK are predominantly Christian, with 71.8% of Romani in England and Wales identifying as Christian in the 2021 census compared to 46.2% of the wider population. [19] [20] The second largest group were those with no religion, constituting 17.6% of the Romani population in England and Wales. [19]

Marime (or Mochadi) is a central belief within Romani cultural law which refers to the Romani concept of ritual impurity, relating to topics such as hygiene and human sexuality. [21] Whilst Romani cultural law is generally understood to be a cultural framework rather than a religion, it is traditionally a key aspect of Romani culture. It has traditionally been passed down orally from generation to generation and is practiced to varying degrees by Romani people while some do not subscribe to the belief system at all. [22] [23]

ReligionEngland and Wales
2021 [19]
Number%
Gold Christian Cross no Red.svg Christianity 72,48571.8%
No religion17,73217.6%
Star and Crescent.svg Islam 2,0282.0%
Dharma Wheel.svg Buddhism 3680.4%
Star of David.svg Judaism 1870.2%
Om.svg Hinduism 580.06%
Khanda.svg Sikhism 430.04%
Other religions6740.7%
Not Stated7,4057.3%
Total100,980100%

Marginalisation

A Romani encampment in Essex, England, c. 1897~1899 Gipsy Essex QE1 142.jpg
A Romani encampment in Essex, England, c. 1897~1899

Romani people have faced widespread marginalisation, prejudice, and discrimination across the United Kingdom.

In 2005, Doncaster Borough Council discussed its review of Gypsy and Traveller needs [24] and concluded that "Gypsies" and Irish Travellers are among the most vulnerable and marginalised ethnic minority groups in Britain. [25] [26]

In 2007, a study by the Equality and Human Rights Commission found that widespread prejudice against "Gypsy Traveller" communities persists in Wales. [27]

In 2008, a report by the University of the West of Scotland found that both Scottish and UK governments had failed to safeguard the rights of the Roma as a recognised ethnic group and did not raise awareness of Roma rights within the UK. [28]

In 2012, an Amnesty International report stated that "Gypsy Traveller" groups in Scotland routinely suffer widespread discrimination in society, [29] as well as a disproportionate level of scrutiny in the media. [30] [31]

Since 2015, changes in policy have resulted in an ongoing widespread shortage of authorised encampment sites for nomadic communities, including traditionally nomadic Romani communities. [32] In its 2019 electoral manifesto, the Conservative Party made a promise to "tackle unauthorised Traveller camps" to "protect our communities" by empowering police to arrest Travellers and seize their homes and property without compensation, perpetuating long history of criminalisation of Travellers in the United Kingdom. [33] [34] After success in that election, plans to implement these policies are proceeding. [35]

British acts of legislation

A Romanichal "atchin tan", or Romani site, as they are known in English Rumnichal Site UK.jpg
A Romanichal "atchin tan", or Romani site, as they are known in English
Horses on show at Appleby Fair, England, Europe's largest Romani Horse Fair Rumnichals at Appleby Fair.jpg
Horses on show at Appleby Fair, England, Europe's largest Romani Horse Fair

The Egyptians Act 1530 banned Romani people from entering England, requiring those already living there to leave within sixteen days under the threat of confiscation of property, imprisonment, and deportation. The Egyptian Act of 1554 amended this law, removing the threat of punishment on the condition that Romani people abandon their "naughty, idle, and ungodly life and company" and adopt a settled, sedentary lifestyle. However, this same act also raised the penalty for noncompliance to death. Later, in 1562, new legislation was passed which permitted Romani people born in England and Wales to formally become English subjects but only if they assimilated into the local population, and the punishment of death remained for those who refused to assimilate. [36] [37]

The Enclosure Act of 1857 created the offence of injury or damage to village greens and interruption to its use or enjoyment as a place of exercise and recreation. The Commons Act of 1876 makes encroachment or enclosure of a village green, and interference with or occupation of the soil, unlawful unless it is with the aim of improving enjoyment of the green. [38] [39]

The Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act of 1960 states that no occupier of land shall cause or permit the land to be used as a caravan site unless he is the holder of a site licence. It also enables a district council to make an order prohibiting the stationing of caravans on common land, or a town or village green. These acts had the overall effect of preventing travellers using the vast majority of their traditional stopping places. [40]

The Caravan Sites Act 1968 required local authorities to provide caravan sites for travellers if there was a demonstrated need. This was resisted by many councils, who would claim that there were no Romanichals living in their areas. [41] The result was that insufficient pitches were provided for travellers, leading to a situation whereby holders of a pitch could no longer travel, for fear of losing it.

The crisis of the 1960s, caused by the Caravan Sites Act of 1968 (stopping new private sites being built until 1972), led to the appearance of the "British Gypsy Council" to fight for the rights of the Romani people in Britain.

In the UK, the issue of "Travellers" (referring to Romanichal Travellers, Irish Travellers, Funfair Travellers (Showmen), as well as other groups) became a 2005 general election issue, with the leader of the Conservative Party promising to review the Human Rights Act of 1998. This law, which absorbs the European Convention on Human Rights into UK primary legislation, is seen by some to permit the granting of retrospective planning permission. Severe population pressures and the paucity of greenfield sites have led to "travellers" purchasing land and setting up residential settlements very quickly, thus subverting the planning restrictions. [42]

Romanichal Travellers and Irish Travellers argued in response that thousands of retrospective planning permissions are granted in Britain in cases involving non-Romani applicants each year and that statistics showed that 90% of planning applications by Travellers were initially refused by local councils, compared with a national average of 20% for other applicants, disproving claims of preferential treatment favouring Travellers. [43]

They also argued that the root of the problem was that many traditional stopping places had been barricaded off and that the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994, passed by the then Conservative government, had effectively criminalised their community, for example by removing local authorities' responsibility to provide sites, thus leaving the travellers with no option but to purchase unregistered new sites themselves. [44]

Famous people

Further reading

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romani people</span> Ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin

The Romani people, also known as the Roma, are an ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin who traditionally lived a nomadic, itinerant lifestyle. Linguistic and genetic evidence suggests that the Roma originated in the Indian subcontinent, in particular the region of Rajasthan. Their first wave of westward migration is believed to have occurred sometime between the 5th and 11th centuries. They are thought to have arrived in Europe around the 13th to 14th century. Although they are widely dispersed, their most concentrated populations are believed to be in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish Travellers</span> Traditionally nomadic people of ethnic Irish origin

Irish Travellers, also known as Pavees or Mincéirs, are a traditionally peripatetic indigenous ethno-cultural group originating in Ireland.

Pikey is an ethnic slur referring to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people. It is used mainly in the United Kingdom and in Ireland to refer to people who belong to groups which had a traditional travelling lifestyle. Groups referred to with this term include Irish Travellers, English Gypsies, Welsh Kale, Scottish Lowland Travellers, Scottish Highland Travellers, and Funfair Travellers. These groups consider the term to be extremely offensive.

Angloromani or Anglo-Romani is a mixed language of Indo-European origin involving the presence of Romani vocabulary and syntax in the English used by descendants of Romanichal Travellers in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United States, and South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romanichal</span> Romani subgroup in the UK

The Romanichal are a Romani subgroup within the United Kingdom and other parts of the English-speaking world. Most Romanichal speak Angloromani, a mixed language that blends Romani vocabulary with English syntax. Romanichal residing in England, Scotland, and Wales are part of the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller community.

The term English Travellers may refer to the following itinerant groups indigenous to England:

Welsh Romani is a variety of the Romani language which is spoken by the Kale group of the Romani people who arrived in Britain during the 16th century. The first record of Romani moving permanently into Wales comes from the 18th century. Welsh-Romani is one of the many Northern Romani dialects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-Romani sentiment</span> Racism against Romani people

Anti-Romani sentiment is a form of bigotry which consists of hostility, prejudice, discrimination, racism and xenophobia which is specifically directed at Romani people. Non-Romani itinerant groups in Europe such as the Yenish, Irish and Highland Travellers are frequently given the name "gypsy" and as a result, they are frequently confused with the Romani people. As a result, sentiments which were originally directed at the Romani people are also directed at other traveler groups and they are frequently referred to as "antigypsy" sentiments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwegian and Swedish Travellers</span> Romani subgroup in Norway and Sweden

Norwegian and Swedish Travellers, commonly known as Romanisael, are a group or branch of the Romani people who have been resident in Norway and Sweden for some 500 years. The estimated number of Romanisael in Sweden is 65,000, while in Norway, the number is probably about 10,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finnish Kale</span> Romani subgroup from Finland

The Finnish Kale are a Romani subgroup who live primarily in Finland and Sweden. Their main languages are Finnish, Swedish and Finnish Romani. Kalo/Kale is the collective name for traveler people in Finland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romani diaspora</span> Dispersion of the Roma people

The Romani Diaspora is the dispersion of Romani people across various parts of the world. Their migration out of the Indian subcontinent occurred in waves, with the first estimated to have taken place between the 1st and 2nd century AD. They first arrived in Europe via the Balkans in the early 12th century. They settled in the areas of present-day Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Romania, Croatia, Moldova, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Hungary, Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia, by order of volume, and Spain. From the Balkans, they migrated throughout Europe and, in the nineteenth and later centuries, to the Americas. The Roma population in the United States is estimated at more than one million.

Scottish Romani are the Romani people of Scotland. This includes Romanichal and Lowland Roma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kale (Welsh Roma)</span> Romani subgroup in Wales

The Kale are a Romani subgroup predominantly found in northwestern Wales, specifically in the Welsh-speaking areas. Many Kale claim to be descendants of Abram Wood, the first Rom to reside permanently and exclusively in Wales in the early 18th century, although Romanichal have appeared in Wales since the 16th century. Romanichal inhabit South Wales and North East Wales.

The Romani people are known by a variety of names, mostly as Gypsies, Roma, Tsinganoi, Bohémiens, and various linguistic variations of these names. There are also numerous subgroups and clans with their own self-designations, such as the Sinti, Kalderash, Boyash, Manouche, Lovari, Lăutari, Machvaya, Romanichal, Romanisael, Kale, Kaale, Xoraxai and Modyar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Itinerant groups in Europe</span> Traditionally nomadic groups in Europe

There are a number of traditionally itinerant or travelling groups in Europe who are known as Travellers or Gypsies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller</span> Ethnicity classification used in the 2011 United Kingdom Census

White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller is an ethnicity classification used in the 2011 United Kingdom Census. In the 2011 census, the White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller population was 63,193 or about 0.1 percent of the total population of the country. The ethnicity category may encompass populace from the distinct ethnic groups of Romanichal Travellers or Irish Travellers, and their respective related subgroupings, who identify as, or are perceived to be, white people in the United Kingdom.

Leeds University Library's Gypsy, Traveller and Roma Collections are one of the five Designated collections held by the Brotherton Library at the University of Leeds. The collections contain an extensive range of international books, manuscripts and archives relating to Gypsy, Traveller and Roma culture. The majority of the materials do not originate from within these communities, instead they encapsulate external representations.

Crystal's Vardo is an English theatre production written and directed by Suzanna King for children aged 7+, about the impact of being bullied at school on a young Gypsy girl's life. It uses dance, drama, humour and music, in a hybrid of theatre, storytelling, historical reconstruction and political education, to describe the culture and histories of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. The play "remains entertaining while also raising awareness about the racism and injustice faced by Gypsies and Travellers today."

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller is an umbrella term used in the United Kingdom to represent several diverse ethnic groups which have a shared history of nomadism.

References

  1. ↑ "Roma integration in the United Kingdom". European Commission – European Commission.
  2. ↑ "The European Union and Roma – Factsheet: United Kingdom" (PDF).
  3. 1 2 "2021 Census: Ethnic group, local authorities in the United Kingdom". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  4. ↑ "MS-B01: Ethnic group". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  5. ↑ "World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - United Kingdom : Roma/Gypsies/Travellers".
  6. ↑ Roma / Gypsies / Travellers - Minority Rights Group
  7. ↑ Acton, Thomas; Acton, Jennifer; Cemlyn, Sara; Ryder, Andrew (2016). "Why we need to up our Numbers Game: A non-parametric approach to the methodology and politics of the demography of Roma, Gypsy, Traveller and other ethnic populations" (PDF). Radical Statistics (114). Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  8. ↑ "Gypsies and Traveller Policy in Wales" (PDF). ec.europa.eu.
  9. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.salford.ac.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ↑ Historical Dictionary of the Gypsies (Romanies)
  11. ↑ Beyond the Stereotypes: A review of Gypsies/Roma/Travellers and the Arts in Wales
  12. ↑ Welsh Gypsy, Welsh Gypsies, Welsh Romanies, Kale, Wales
  13. ↑ "Gypsies and Travellers in Scotland". Scottish Traveller Education Programme. 5 February 2007. Archived from the original on 11 August 2004. Retrieved 26 August 2007.
  14. ↑ "Gypsies in Scotland". The Scottish Gypsies of Scotland. 2004. Retrieved 26 August 2007.
  15. ↑ THE ROMA COMMUNITY in Northern Ireland and housing: A SCOPING REVIEW
  16. ↑ Joyce, David (2023). "Gypsies in Ireland—a Hiberno-Romany Community". History Ireland. 31 (3).
  17. ↑ "An Irish Romany writes". Travellers Times. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  18. ↑ "Country of birth (extended) and ethnic group". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  19. 1 2 3 "Ethnic group by religion - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  20. ↑ "Religion, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  21. ↑ Boswell, Lisa (2018-07-12). "Real Romany Gypsy Life, Beliefs and Customs". FolkloreThursday.
  22. ↑ "Law of the Gypsies | Charts and Graphs". Lapham’s Quarterly. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  23. ↑ Barnes, Alison (2003). "Gypsy Law: Romani Legal Traditions and Culture". Marquette Law Review. 86 (4): 823.
  24. ↑ "introduction 2.22". Doncaster.gov.uk. 1 December 2006. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  25. ↑ "The Council Chamber". Doncaster.gov.uk. 1 December 2006. Archived from the original on 1 September 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  26. ↑ Gypsies and Travellers: A strategy for the CRE, 2004 – 2007
  27. ↑ "Who Do You See? – Living together in Wales" (PDF). Equality and Human Rights Commission. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  28. ↑ Lynne Poole; Kevin Adamson (2008). "Report on the Situation of the Roma Community in Govanhill, Glasgow" (PDF). University of the West of Scotland. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  29. ↑ Amnesty International in Scotland; Napier University MSc Journalism (2 April 2012). "Caught in the Headlines – Scottish Media Coverage of Scottish Gypsy Travellers" (PDF). Amnesty International in Scotland. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  30. ↑ "Gypsies/Travellers in Scotland: The Twice Yearly Count – No. 16: July 2009" (PDF). The Scottish Government. 30 August 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  31. ↑ Beth Cadger (2009). "Gypsy/Traveller Numbers in the UK – A General Overview" (PDF). Article12.org. YGTL – Article 12 in Scotland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  32. ↑ Perraudin, Frances (18 January 2018). "Gypsies and Travellers in UK face housing crisis, charities warn". The Guardian.
  33. ↑ Wenham-Ross, Kitty. "Britain's Conservatives Pledge to Target Roma". Foreign Policy.
  34. ↑ Dalton, Jane (2019-11-30). "Tories accused of 'criminalising Gypsies and protecting illegal fox-hunting' under crackdown on trespass". The Independent . Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  35. ↑ Hymas, Charles (2021-01-15). "Exclusive: Intentional trespass on private land to become criminal offence". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  36. ↑ Timbers, Frances (20 April 2016). 'The Damned Fraternitie': Constructing Gypsy Identity in Early Modern England, 1500–1700. Routledge. p. 96. ISBN   978-1-317-03651-7.
  37. ↑ "GYPSY & TRAVELLERS IN BRITAIN – HISTORY TIMELINE | Romani Cultural & Arts Company" . Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  38. ↑ "Inclosure Act 1857". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  39. ↑ "Commons Act 1876". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  40. ↑ "Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960". Legislation.gov.uk.
  41. ↑ Diacon, Diane (2007). Out in the Open: Providing Accommodation, Promoting Understanding and Recognising Rights of Gypsies and Travellers. Coalville: Building and Social Housing Foundation. p. 10. ISBN   978-1-901742-02-2. OCLC   572779016.
  42. ↑ Thomas Alan Acton; David Gallant (2008). Romanichal Gypsies. Wayland. ISBN   978-0-7502-5578-3.
  43. ↑ "Gypsies and Irish Travellers: The facts". Commission on Racial Equality (UK). Archived from the original on 11 October 2007.
  44. ↑ "Gypsies". Inside Out - South East. BBC. 19 September 2005.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.