Travellers, Roma and Gypsies face discrimination

Romany Gypsy, Roma, Irish Traveller and travelling communities experience extremely high levels of racial assault, poor health, precarious employment, and socio-economic deprivation, according to the largest national survey of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) participants to date.

The survey, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, was undertaken by the Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity, in collaboration with community groups and charities. It forms part of the Evidence for Equality National Survey (Evens) of ethnic and religious minorities.

The research finds that 62% of Gypsy or Traveller people had experienced a racial assault, the highest of all ethnic minority groups surveyed. And one in three had experienced a physical racist attack.

Of Roma people, 47% had experienced a racist assault, while 37% had been physically attacked.

GRT people also experience the highest levels of social and economic deprivation, with more than half having no educational qualifications. Of Gypsy or Traveller men, 85% were in precarious employment, compared with 19% of white British men.

The survey also highlighted stark health inequalities across health outcomes and access to services, with GRT men over 12 times more likely to suffer with more than two physical health conditions than white British men.

And Roma people had the highest risk of not being able to access health and social care services.