All Travellers are foreigners…
Gypsies have been a part of Great Britain for well over 500 years and have been a key part of our culture. Irish and Scottish Travellers are descendants of nomad people who traditionally populated mainland Britain and Ireland. Roma descendants have migrated from Northern India since the 10th century.
They aren’t protected by law and it’s just a lifestyle…
Romany Gypsies, Scottish, Welsh and Irish Travellers are all ethnic minorities, recognised under UK law (Equalities Act 2010) and the Irish government.
Most of travellers live illegally…
A census of the Gypsy and Traveller caravans is conducted twice each year. This showed that 88% of caravans were on authorised and rented sites. The minority of Travellers will stay on unauthorised sites as they have no other place to stay and it is the duty of the local authority to provide enough safe sites.
All traveller boys take part in ‘grabbing’…
Made popular by the television show ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’, it is where Traveller girls are ‘grabbed’ as part of a courtship ritual, which sees boys forcing a kiss. The majority of Travellers have never heard of this and courtship occurs through careful supervision.
They don’t pay taxes…
Travellers and Gypsies pay taxes like everyone else. They may seem wealthier, however, this is more likely due to the fact that they are very hard working and invest their money in vehicles, caravans and nice furniture instead of hundreds of thousands on a house.
Travellers are dirty and leave mess everywhere they go…
Travellers, particularly English gypsies and Irish Travellers, live very clean and tidy lives. Their homes are usually pristine and they take great pride in their belongings. This is part of their culture and customs. Many Travellers’ outside space, particularly travelling Travellers, is also their work place and so it can look messy and unkempt. When local authorities provide suitable rubbish disposal, fly tipping and rubbish is rarely a problem.
We can’t learn anything from Travellers…
Many Traveller communities have a wealth of history and knowledge. Their lifestyle includes strong family values, they look after their elderly relatives in their homes as well as rearing children with good morals of respect and hard work. Their custom is also to ensure that children learn crucial life skills such as running a business, cooking, cleaning and hands-on skills. They are also far better than other citizens at managing money, with very few accumulating any form of debt.