Frequently Asked Questions, myths and facts
Who are the Gypsies and Travellers of Britain?
Romany Gypsies are the largest minority ethnic group
among the Travelling communities in Britain, whose ancestors
migrated from India some 500 years ago.
Travellers of Irish Heritage do not necessarily come
immediately from Ireland, and may visit Ireland infrequently and
for short periods only. It is thought that many Irish Travellers
are descendants of people who lost their land during the potato
famine in the mid nineteenth century.
New Travellers are a community of more recent origin.
They have adopted this way of life for a variety of reasons, such
as homelessness, unemployment or environmental issues.
Why do Gypsies and Travellers have a different way of life to
the settled community?
Like other minority ethnic groups Gypsies and Travellers have
their own language, culture and traditions. These are passed down
the family and, as in any family, the onus on keeping them varies
from family to family. Cultural values are strong and the extended
family is more the norm than the nuclear.
When they live in houses, do Gypsies and Travellers stop being
Gypsies and Travellers?
No. Gypsies and Travellers that move into houses do not lose
their culture or ethnic status. Many move into houses for health
reasons, or to give their children an education. Many will still
travel in the summer months, even if they are based in a house.
Why do Gypsies and Travellers set up sites without
permission?
The lack of public sites and the difficulties Gypsies and
Travellers have in setting up their own sites has often left them
without the ability to access their basic rights to accommodation.
90% of planning applications that Gypsies and Travellers submit
fail, which often forces them back on the road, with no fixed
address.
Why do Gypsies and Travellers pull up so near to the settled
community?
Like the settled community, Gypsies and Travellers need access
to services. They may want to be near a school or shop or petrol
station to access water and food. Many of the traditional stopping
places that Gypsies and Travellers have used for decades have now
disappeared because of urban expansion.
Why don’t Gypsies and Travellers just live in houses?
Some do. Some will move into housing for health reasons, or because
they want their children to have regular access to education.
However for some families it doesn’t work; they feel isolated from
their community, and often feel claustrophobic or hemmed in, inside
four walls. Once living in housing, Gypsies and Travellers don’t
cease to be Gypsies and Travellers, they continue their culture and
traditions within the home.
Back to the main Gypsies and Travellers
page