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Local France
a day ago
- Local France
Who are France's ‘gens du voyage'?
Headlines in the regional French press featuring the term gens du voyages are rarely positive. Articles in mid-June 2025 tell of them being turned away from a Provencal town . Another, from Beziers, reports an 'illegal' camp on a sports field . A third explains that a group was to be moved on from the Breton town of Auray . One more reports ongoing issues at a recently abandoned site in the Hauts-de-France commune of Neuville-Saint-Rémy . The term itself is neutral French administration-speak for Travellers - literally 'people who travel' - and refers to an administrative status intended for people who live permanently in a mobile land-based habitat (a caravan, in most cases) or who carry out an itinerant activity. It has become, however, a – pejorative and discriminatory – catchall for several communities of people with their own traditions and customs. A recent study found that the highest levels of discrimination in France were reserved for the Roma people , echoing long-standing prejudice against gypsies and travellers that is seen across Europe. Advertisement The four main groups that fall under the umbrella term of gens du voyage are: Oriental Roms, who came from North India in the 13th century and are mainly to be found in Central and Eastern Europe; the Sinti or Manouches, who are mainly settled in Germany and the northern France; Gitanos or Kalés, whose presence in southern France dates back to the Middle Ages; and the Yenish people, who are mainly settled in German-speaking and border countries, and also found in the Gard, Ardèche and Massif Central regions. Some of those classified as Travellers are fairground workers. There are some 350,000 to 400,000 gens du voyage in France, though only about 15 percent of that number have recognisably itinerant lifestyles – as in they move from town to town – according to France's Défenseur des droits. Most tend to remain in one location. In comparison, Insee data shows that in 2021, France had 137,508 residents of British nationality . According to a report by the Défenseur des droits published in October 2021 , travelling communities in France are routinely discriminated against in terms of housing, access to education and health. The report stated that more than one in two French people (52 percent) 'felt uncomfortable' at the idea of having Roma or Travellers as neighbours. That discriminatory sentiment was echoed in a 2023 report by the Commission Nationale Consultative des Droits de l'Homme (CNCDH), which noted that 'the Roma remain the most stigmatised minority' and that, according to a majority of French people, they form a separate group in society. The report called for the allocation of human and financial resources to the fight against 'anti-Gypsyism', as well as enhanced training on 'anti-Gypsyism' in journalism schools because Travellers are often associated with crimes or offences in the media. What is now known as the Besson I law, passed in 1990, obliges towns with more than 5,000 inhabitants to provide permanent halting sites with suitable facilities for Travellers. A decade later, Besson II obliged those same municipalities to participate in a 'departmental reception plan' for travelling communities and specifically stipulated Travellers' right to free movement in France. Municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, meanwhile, are not required to set up specific sites, but must still provide Travellers with somewhere to stay temporarily. 'Officially designated sites [in smaller communes] must have minimal facilities (including sanitation), for a minimum stay of 48 hours and a maximum of 15 days,' according to Maires de France . However, by 2013, only around half the total number of sites planned in Besson II had been built – while only 30 percent of larger sites were ready. Advertisement Many of these sites had been set up on the fringes of towns, or even outside them, where it was difficult to access local services, including public transport. Several were near potentially dangerous industrial zones – one at Rouen-Petit Quevilly was close to the Lubrizol chemical plant – which hit the headlines when a large fire broke out in September 2019 . As the headlines show, Travellers have often ignored sites set up for their use, and settled temporarily elsewhere, prompting a law in March 2007 that permitted local préfets to forcibly move on Travellers from illegally occupied land – if an area had been set up for their use. Prior to January 2017, anyone living a Traveller lifestyle in France – that is to say someone with no fixed residence of more than six months in an EU Member State – was required to have a circulation permit demonstrating their right to move freely and was obliged to regularly report their movements to local police or gendarmerie. No law specifies that itinerant communities must notify local authorities or mayors before their arrival – but it may be expected 'as a courtesy' – and Travellers may also be required to pre-book access to set sites. Advertisement Nor is there any national law that limits how long Travellers can stay at specific sites set up by larger communes. However, a decree does state that a duration limit can be determined by local authorities within a certain framework. 'The maximum duration of the authorised stay is specified in the internal regulations of the reception area,' according to a 2007 memo from the ministère de l'Intérieur et de l'aménagement du territoire . It adds: 'This duration must not encourage the sedentary lifestyle of Travellers in the reception areas, which leads to recommending a duration that does not exceed five months.' France's attitude towards travelling communities – particularly the Roma, who are not listed as gens du voyage has long been controversial. Following violence in response to two incidents in which French police shot and killed Roma, then-President Nicolas Sarkozy vowed in July 2010 to expel half of the 539 Roma squatting in camps. The government initiated a programme to repatriate thousands of Romanian and Bulgarian Roma, as part of the crackdown. Between July and September 2010, at least 51 Roma camps were demolished, and France repatriated at least 1,230 Roma to Romania and Bulgaria. Advertisement The European Commission threatened legal action against France, and EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding branded the expulsions 'a disgrace'. In 2015 two incidents highlighted continuing French attitudes, the mayor of Champlan stoked outrage when he refused to allow a Roma baby to be buried because the municipal cemetery had 'few available plots'. The same year, a union representing bus drivers in Montpellier, proposed the creation of a separate bus service for Roma people following complaints. It's a mistake to dismiss those two shocking articles as 'history'. The Council of Europe's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published a report on France's attitude to travellers in 2022 noting that 'Travellers/Roma [...] continue to face discrimination in all areas of life'. It recommended that French authorities recognise caravans as a type of accommodation and to review parking restrictions in light of real needs; introduce a system for tracking identity checks by law enforcement; provide social support measures before any evacuation of an illegal camp and to accept legitimate requests for housing; and guarantee education of Roma and Traveller children – who, it has been reported, were being denied access to schools if their families had set up camps 'illegally'. The French government launched a three-year National Plan to Combat Racism, Anti-Semitism and Discrimination Based on Origin in January 2023. This was the first time such a plan addressed the issue of discrimination against Travelling communities. It aims to affirm the reality of racism and equal rights and opportunities; measure the phenomena of racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination; improve education and training; punish perpetrators and support victims of hate crimes.
Press and Journal
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Travellers at Inverdee could lead to more cricket disruption
Local cricket could be disrupted again this weekend by the presence of Travellers at Inverdee playing fields. Around 15 caravans arrived at the Aberdeen site, next to Goals and Harvester, on Sunday, June 1. There are two cricket pitches at Inverdee and, since the Travellers have been there, North East Scotland Cricket have been forced to postpone a number of Grades and Evening League matches on safety grounds. It looks like this weekend's fixtures could also be affected if the Travellers remain at Inverdee – although it is understood Aberdeen City Council and Sport Aberdeen are continuing in their efforts to try to allow the facility to be used for cricket again. On Saturday, Ceylon Deeside v Granite City and 3rd Grampian v 2nd Methlick in Grade Four are scheduled to be played at Inverdee, while Grampian v Crescent in the Aberdeenshire Cup is pencilled in for Sunday. Already this week, Evening League matches on Tuesday – Cartoos v Aberdeen Tigers and 2nd Knight Riders v AMC Sporting Club, Wednesday – North Sea v Knight Riders and Grampian Strikers v Aberdeen Tigers, and Thursday – Master Blasters v North Sea and Shell v Knight Riders – have been postponed. Last week a spokeperson for North East Scotland Cricket explained why they were having to cancel fixtures. They said: 'Whilst we appreciate that the vehicles have been spread outside the boundaries of the two pitches, any cricket match would potentially result in damage being caused, and the safety of all involved is paramount.'
Irish Times
08-06-2025
- Irish Times
Traveller youth take the reins as crowds visit Appleby Horse Fair
From nowhere the atmosphere shifted from serene to slightly edgy. It was a sunny Friday at the Appleby Horse Fair and there had been a collision on the Flashing Lane, a stretch outside the Cumbrian village where Travellers show-off and 'flash' horses for sale by running them at speed up and down the lane. One man had run his horse and cart into the back of another – a yellow cart – and broken its wheels. A row brewed. A crowd gawked as the angry owner of the yellow cart demanded compensation from the other man, who denied blame. 'Queensbury rules,' said an observer, as tempers threatened to flare. A third man, a Traveller like the others, stepped in. He ushered them towards a nearby field, telling the yellow cart owner: 'You're a big man. We'll sort it out.' READ MORE The crowd of mostly younger men, excited at the possibility of a scrap, flowed behind and formed a ring around them. The protagonist trio – the cart owners and their impromptu mediator – disappeared behind a camper van. Minutes later they emerged arm-in-arm like old friends. Clearly a deal was struck. Irish Travellers watching on were heard to make phone calls telling others all was solved. Calm resumed. The crowd went back to the flashing in the lane, where horses hurtled beneath the dappled sunlight streaming in between the leaves above. [ Racism seen as permeating all aspects of Roma and Traveller lives in Ireland, European report finds Opens in new window ] Appleby fair: Horses are walked through the town centre. Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPA A procession of carts go through Appleby village. Photograph: Mark Paul This all took place under the noses of Cumbria police, who stayed well back from the field to let those involved sort it out themselves. It illustrated the unique and sometimes flexible approach of authorities to managing the Appleby Horse Fair. The event finishes this week. It attracts 10,000 Travellers and Romany Gypsies from Ireland , Britain and further afield to this small town in bucolic northwest England over several days at the beginning of each June. An estimated 20-30,000 other visitors also attended in recent days, but the atmosphere was led by Traveller culture. There was no central organisation in overall control when The Irish Times visited over the weekend. Billy Welch, the Shera Rom – Head Gypsy – of the Romani community organised toilets and other facilities in fields on Fair Hill outside the village. But much of the rest operated autonomously. Two bars were set up in an adjacent field, where Traveller men gambled on tossed coins late into the evening. The cacophonous Appleby fair, a mixture of stalls, camping and equine-related activities, is billed as the largest gathering of Travellers in Europe. It is a mainstay of the community, which remains one of the most disadvantaged in the UK as it is in Ireland. People washing horses in river Eden during the Appleby Horse Fair. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire British census statistics show Travellers in Britain face the same social problems as their kin across the Irish Sea: lower education, poorer health, higher deprivation. They also experience discrimination. The 250-year old fair an annual demonstration of pride, an unabashed display of Traveller and Gypsy culture, especially by its youth. They lead the ancient tradition of riding horses bareback into the river Eden in the town centre to wash the animals before and after they are flashed and possibly traded. Some in Britain have always viewed the fair with a critical eye. Leading up to this year's event, English tabloids were filled with stories of Irish Travellers and Romany Gypsies 'descending' on Cumbria, bringing an alleged crime wave. Locals, coverage said, had 'battened down the hatches'. Police reported about 30 arrests in the week or so leading up to the event last Thursday. Last year's fair recorded about 450 police 'incidents' in total, roughly comparable to a typical music festival of the same size. People attending the Appleby Horse Fair. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA Dozens of officers were around Appleby town at the weekend, more on the outskirts. Some used automatic number plate recognition technology to check vehicles against police records. Police said they might deploy facial recognition technology in future. 'If Cumbria Police can use it to identify criminality and troublemakers and keep them away from the fair, then I would support it,' said Welch. The fair attracts the attention animal rights groups, concerned over the welfare of horses. Many Travellers whom The Irish Times spoke to argued these concerns were overplayed. A traditional horse-drawn caravan makes its way to the annual Appleby Horse Fair. Photograph:The RSPCA looks on as people go by in horse-drawn carriage during the Appleby Horse Fair. Photograph: Owen Humphreys Liam Hamilton, an English-born Traveller of Irish descent from Doncaster, who caught a lift with The Irish Times to Fair Hill on Saturday, said the majority of Travellers knew not to over-whip horses. He was also critical of what he saw as excessive policing. An RSPCA inspector near Flashing Lane on Friday evening said just four horses had been seized by that stage of this year's event. In 2007, one horse infamously drowned in deep water while being washed in the Eden. In more recent years, a few horses died from overwork. A group of Dublin men at the fair, non-Travellers who said they kept horses in their working class communities including Coolock and Finglas, said welfare standards had improved in recent years. They welcomed the strong RSPCA presence. One horse was seized late on Thursday evening. Three crestfallen young Irish Traveller boys were seen walking to a police barrier pulling an empty cart. 'Where is the horse?' asked an officer. They said the RSPCA seized it to treat an injured eye. Another horse headbutted it, they said, and they couldn't get it back. People riding horses in water during the Appleby Horse Fair. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA A family in their traditional horse-drawn caravan make their way to the Appleby Horse Fair. Photograph:Away from the equine areas, many retail stalls were manned by Romany immigrants from eastern Europe, as well as native Rominchal from Britain. One Roma man, who did not want to be named, was doing a roaring trade selling water pistols. Asked where he was from, he replied 'Galway' in a half-Irish accent. 'The Irish Travellers, they don't consider us Irish,' he said. 'But that's where I grew up.' British tabloids ran stories in recent years of alcohol-fuelled fighting between gangs at the fair. After Thursday, most pubs were shut in Appleby last weekend, along with the majority of shops. There were few locals around; many houses looked deserted. The Irish Times witnessed no real trouble over several days. A person in a horse-drawn carriage during the Appleby Horse Fair. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA Religious organisations were prominent at the fair. Irish Travellers and their English kin are mostly Catholic, while some Romany are Protestants and evangelicals. 'Apostle' Des Pilling, a plasterer from Wigan, was on the bridge promoting his vision of religion for CLMI Street Evangelists UK. Most Irish Travellers were Catholic, he said, and needed to be 'born again' to reach heaven. Many passing Travellers just smiled at him. Another man, who did not want to be identified, spoke to The Irish Times at the Catholic Traveller Renewal stand on Fair Hill. He said it was easier to be a Traveller in Britain than Ireland.: 'Even a man with no ar*e in his trousers in Ireland will come up and call you a k****er. But not here.' People in horse-drawn carriages during the Appleby Horse Fair. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA People racing in a horse-drawn carriage during the Appleby Horse Fair. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA He had a perfect Irish Traveller accent, but was born and raised in London and lived there all his life. 'Your accent comes from who you mix with,' he said. Yet most talk in Appleby was not of accents or trouble or discrimination. It was simply of horses, especially among excited young people. Some of the most striking images of the weekend were of Traveller teenagers – girls as well as boys – riding huge horses bareback into the Eden and down the Flashing Lane. Lucy Smith, a young Traveller from Morecambe, with her horse Comanche at the Flashing Lane at the Appleby Horse Fair. Photograph: Mark Paul Lucy Smith, an English-born young Traveller from Morecambe, but who once lived in Ireland, seemed delighted to be told that she seemed like one of the best riders on the lane. She appeared to handle her horse, Comanche, with ease riding without a saddle: 'He's really a driving horse [for carts]. But I just love riding him here.' Then she took off down the lane, through the dust and crowds.
Scottish Sun
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Tyson Fury among THOUSANDS of travellers at Appleby as horse fair kicks off TODAY – with locals locking down village
Thousands of families have descended upon the town for the 340-year-old fair HORSING AROUND Tyson Fury among THOUSANDS of travellers at Appleby as horse fair kicks off TODAY – with locals locking down village Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BOXER Tyson Fury has been spotted making his way to the historic Appleby Horse Fair as the annual event kicks off today. The Gypsy King, 36, will join tens of thousands of visitors who have flooded into the rural village of Appleby-in-Westmoorland, Cumbria, ahead of the festivities. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Tyson was spotted on a horse drawn cart as he made his way to the event Credit: MCPIX LTD 9 Travellers ride horses in the nearby River Eden as part of a long-held tradition Credit: LNP 9 Travellers have lined the roads ahead of the six-day event Credit: LNP He was spotted travelling by horse-drawn cart through Knutsford, Cheshire, as he makes his way to the fair. Locals are bracing for chaos as hundreds of campervans and horse-drawn carriages descended upon their rural town for the annual event. Cumbria Police confirmed 30 people had already arrested in the general area as part of an operation ahead of the fair. The six-day event typically features traditional music, dancing, horse riding, market stalls and horse sales. Traffic in the area ground to a standstill as visitors from the gypsy, roma and travelling community lined the streets. Huge queues started forming along the roads as they waited to enter the campsites. Families and their horses normally descend from miles away to attend the 340-year-old fair. It falls on the first weekend of June and is recognised as the largest of its kind in Europe. Horsemen and women have been seen riding their horses in the nearby River Eden as part of a long-held tradition. The annual gathering dates back to 1685 and is under the protection of a charter granted by James II. 9 Roughly 10,000 travellers are expected to descend on the village Credit: LNP 9 Traffic ground to a halt as horse-drawn carriages lined the roads Credit: NNP 9 Locals have braced for chaos and disruption during the festivities Credit: NNP By the 1900s it had evolved into an event for Gypsies and Travellers. There remains a huge police presence in the area, with officers on standby ahead of potential chaos and violence. Narrow country lanes leading to the village have been bursting with horses and caravans in the build-up to the traveller meet-up. In 2020, the fair was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic, but huge crowds have returned to the event in recent years. Seven people were arrested at the 2021 meet-up, but the chaos didn't dampen spirits for the hundreds at the historical celebration. Some locals have closed down their pubs and services in protest. Fed-up residents living in the neighbouring village of Gargrave even drew up battle plan in preparation. They have complained of a spike in crime and anti-social behaviour with human excrement found in bushes, trees hacked down and scorch marks found on the village greens. Last year, more than 60 pick-up trucks and horse-drawn caravans descended on the village, with loud generators running throughout the night. 9 It dates back to 1685 and is protected by a royal charter granted by James II Credit: Getty 9 The fair is recognised as the largest in Europe Credit: LNP
The Irish Sun
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Tyson Fury among THOUSANDS of travellers at Appleby as horse fair kicks off TODAY – with locals locking down village
BOXER Tyson Fury has been spotted making his way to the historic Appleby Horse Fair as the annual event kicks off today. The Gypsy King, 36, will join tens of thousands of visitors who have flooded into the rural village of Appleby-in-Westmoorland, Cumbria, ahead of the festivities. 9 Tyson was spotted on a horse drawn cart as he made his way to the event Credit: MCPIX LTD 9 Travellers ride horses in the nearby River Eden as part of a long-held tradition Credit: LNP 9 Travellers have lined the roads ahead of the six-day event Credit: LNP He was spotted travelling by horse-drawn cart through Knutsford, Cheshire, as he makes his way to the fair. Locals are bracing for chaos as hundreds of campervans and horse-drawn carriages descended upon their rural town for the annual event. Cumbria Police confirmed 30 people had already arrested in the general area as part of an operation ahead of the fair. The six-day event typically features traditional music, dancing, horse riding, market stalls and horse sales. Read more News Traffic in the area ground to a standstill as visitors from the gypsy, roma and travelling community lined the streets. Huge queues started forming along the roads as they waited to enter the campsites. Families and their horses normally descend from miles away to attend the 340-year-old fair. It falls on the first weekend of June and is recognised as the largest of its kind in Europe. Most read in The Sun Horsemen and women have been seen riding their horses in the nearby River Eden as part of a long-held tradition. The annual gathering dates back to 1685 and is under the protection of a charter granted by James II. 9 Roughly 10,000 travellers are expected to descend on the village Credit: LNP 9 Traffic ground to a halt as horse-drawn carriages lined the roads Credit: NNP 9 Locals have braced for chaos and disruption during the festivities Credit: NNP By the 1900s it had evolved into an event for Gypsies and Travellers. There remains a huge police presence in the area, with officers on standby ahead of potential chaos and violence. Narrow country lanes leading to the village have been bursting with horses and caravans in the build-up to the traveller meet-up. I n 2020, the fair was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic , but huge crowds have returned to the event in recent years. Seven people were arrested at the 2021 meet-up, but the chaos didn't dampen spirits for the hundreds at the historical celebration. Some locals have closed down their pubs and services in protest. Fed-up residents living in the neighbouring village of Gargrave even drew up battle plan in preparation. They have complained of a with human excrement found in bushes, trees hacked down and scorch marks found on the village greens. Last year, more than 60 pick-up trucks and horse-drawn caravans descended on the village, with loud generators running throughout the night. 9 It dates back to 1685 and is protected by a royal charter granted by James II Credit: Getty 9 The fair is recognised as the largest in Europe Credit: LNP 9 Huge queues formed to get on the campsite for the 340-year-old fair Credit: NNP
