Travellers

Who are Travellers? 

There is no one, single definition of what a Traveller is and the legal definitions in usage are far from being clear-cut. However, it is argued that Gypsies and Travellers should have the right to self-identify and the issue of defining should not be over-emphasised. 

Roma Gypsy Travellers and Travellers of Irish Heritage are protected under the Race Relations Acts, whether they are nomadic or not. Whilst other groups of Travellers are currently not defined as an ethnic group, recent guidance from the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) suggests that test cases could bring other Traveller groups within the definition. 

An ethnic group is seen as having “a long shared history of which the group is conscious as distinguishing it from other groups and the memory of which keeps it alive” and “..a cultural tradition of it’s own including family and social customs and manners, often but not necessarily associated with religious observance” (Law Lords definition of March 1983: Mandla Sikh Turban Case.) 

People over the age of 11 have the right to decide their own ethnic identity.

Traveller Groups 

The term ‘Traveller’ is an umbrella term to cover several distinct groups whose lifestyles are separate culturally but share some similarities. It is important that we don’t make cultural assumptions or stereotypes. There are generally thought to be 5 main groups of Travellers in the UK:

1. Gypsy Travellers and Travellers of Irish Heritage - membership is dictated by birth and sometimes marriage. These are distinct groups but both often have strong cultural ties, large extended families and consist of sub-groups of English Gypsies, Welsh Gypsies and Scottish Travellers. Only Roma Gypsies and Irish Travellers are defined as minority ethnic groups under the Race Relations Acts. 
   
   Legislation (e.g. loss of traditional stopping places, councils not having to provide sites) and the decimation of traditional ways of making a living are increasingly leading to Gypsy and Irish Travellers living a more settled way of life. However, even families who appear settled may at any time resume a travelling lifestyle, however temporary. Despite being housed or settled, the ethnicity of being a Traveller remains. Some Travellers may be residing on unauthorised encampments and may be subject to regular eviction. 
   
   
2. Roma – this is the name by which most Gypsy Travellers from the countries of Eastern and Middle Europe wish to be known. In recent years, a number of Roma families have come to Britain as refugees and asylum seekers. 
   
   
3. Occupational Travellers (Fairground families, Show people or Circus families) – are a commercial/business community rather than an ethnic group. Membership of this group can be by birth, however it is also possible for newcomers to become part of the group by joining the business, sometimes on a seasonal basis. 
   
   Most Occupational Travellers have an established winter base but generally travel between March and October to established routes. Since the formation of The Showmen’s Guild in 1889, they have developed a strong identity and entry to the Guild is tightly controlled, as it has established a firm regulatory body for its members, with a strong commitment to education. 
   
   
4. New Travellers  – formerly known as New Age Travellers, these are a diverse group with varying beliefs and backgrounds. This group started as a choice of lifestyle rather than being born into it. However, whilst not all remain mobile, some children are now third or even fourth generation New Travellers and have known no other way of life.
   
   
5. Bargees – Although numbers are very few in Britain, these families and their crew live on and operate transport barges and vessels on inland waterways. 

Remember: 

When writing about Travellers, Gypsies or Irish Travellers, the Commission for Racial Equality state you should use an initial capital letter, as you would for any other ethnic group.