FFT submit evidence on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller rights to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Today, Friends, Families and Travellers submitted evidence to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on the rights of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people.

The submission highlights a failure of the UK Government to comply with 4 of the Articles within the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination which ensure Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people’s rights are upheld. 

Focusing on previous recommendations from the Committee, the report covers and provides recommendations in dealing with (but not limited to): 

• A national strategy to address the inequalities experienced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities;
• Race hate and discriminatory political discourse; 
• Role of the media in fuelling race hate speech and crime; 
• Over-representation of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in prison; 
• Lack of site provision and tougher police powers for eviction;
• Accessibility of the European Union Settlement Scheme for Roma; 

Key recommendations include: 

• Re-introduce ring-fenced funding for Traveller Education Services to create a more inclusive environment and improve education attainment for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils.
• Address high exclusion rates and racist bullying experienced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils.
• Reintroduce pitch targets and a statutory duty on local authorities to meet the assessed need for Gypsy and Traveller sites.
• Repeal new police powers targeting Gypsy and Traveller encampments introduced by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (s61, s62A and s60C-E).
• Strengthen accountability where healthcare services directly or indirectly discriminate against someone, and this affects the individual’s ability to access healthcare.
• The NHS Data Model and Dictionary for England should include disaggregated ethnicity data for Romany Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller people, and ensure routine collection across healthcare providers.

The report has been endorsed by six civil society organisations working with Gypsies, Roma and Travellers, including:

• Traveller Space
• GATE Herts
• Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Friendly Churches
• Southwark Travellers Action Group
• Leeds GATE
• Roma Support Group 

The report calls for the UK Government to implement a cross-departmental strategy to tackle inequality and improve the lives of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities across all key social indicators and policy areas with measurable outcomes.

[ENDS]

About Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT)

Friends, Families and Travellers is a leading national charity that works to end racism and discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people and to protect the right to pursue a nomadic way of life.

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Email: [email protected]

Additional Resources

Submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on the rights of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in the United Kingdom in preparation for the List of Themes. May 2024. Read.