Why do Irish Travellers come to the UK?

Irish Travellers mainly came to England after the potato famine in the 1850s and then after World War II, when men came over to build motorways and work as labourers. She said many Irish Travellers moved between the town and other traveller sites in eastern England.

Do travellers have special rights?

Everyone has rights, including Gypsies, Travellers and people on whose land unauthorised camping takes place. Gypsies and Travellers are protected from discrimination by the Equality Act 2010, together with all ethnic groups who have a particular culture, language and values, including white and black people.

How do you get rid of gypsy travellers?

If they refuse to go, there are three main legal routes to removing travellers: applying for a possession order; using common law rights to recover the land; and relying on the police to take action. Farmers can apply to county court for a possession order. They will need put up copies of their claim form on the land.

Are Travellers a problem in Ireland?

There are many challenges faced by Irish Travellers. The suicide rate in the Traveller community is six times higher than in the general population and seven times higher among young Traveller men. A lack of support, coupled with discrimination and racism are often cited as the main reasons for the high rate.

Do Irish Travellers move around?

Although most Gypsies and Travellers see travelling as part of their identity, they can choose to live in different ways including: moving regularly around the country from site to site and being ‘on the road’ living permanently in caravans or mobile homes, on sites provided by the council, or on private sites.

Should Irish travellers be protected as an ethnic group?

Judge Goldstein rejected the claims, however, and said that Irish Travellers have a history stretching back to the mid-19th century and said that they should be given protection as an ethnic group. “Modern Irish travellers are guided by the culture and traditions which have been handed down by generations.

How many Irish Travellers are there in the UK?

“Irish Travellers are a distinct ethnic minority and while there is no accurate data as to the actual number, the Traveller Movement estimates around 100,000 are resident in the UK,” the report said. A significant number of these will not be British citizens by descent.

Why are travellers ostracized in Ireland?

Like the travellers, these communities have been subject to forced eviction and displacement in the past. Land disputes aside, the travellers are an ostracized group, and an Irish researcher found in May that they were nearly as despised as drug addicts and alcohols.

Are Irish Travellers still an object of prejudice in the UK?

Along with Romani Gypsies, Irish Travellers remain an object of widespread prejudice in British society. What we’re seeing take place at Dale Farm today is the culmination of years of intolerance, author Owen Jones wrote in The Telegraph.