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OSCE – ODIHR Western European Regional Workshop
POLICING IN RELATION TO ROMA, GYPSY AND TRAVELLER COMMUNITIES
Workshop Report
Prepared by Romy Danflous, Project Officer, European Dialogue, London, UK
In consultation with Dr Robin Oakley – Consultant for OSCE Roma/Police Programme, European Dialogue, London, UK.
Table of contents
Executive summary..…………………………………………………………………………………..3
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………….4
Objectives ……………………….…………………………………………………………....4
Participants..…………………………………………………………………………………..5
Summary of proceedings…..………………………………………………………………..6
Overview and summaries of presentations ...... 7
Day one …….…………………………………………………………………………………7
Keynotepresentations……………………………………………………………...7
Key issues …………………………………………………………………………..9
Local level initiatives ...... 10
National level initiatives ...... 12
Day two……………………………………………………………………………………....13
Initiatives in Scotland and Ireland….…………………………………………….13
Initiatives in France, Spain and Greece…………………………………………14
Conclusions and recommendations...... ………………..16
Future Actions………………………………….……………………………………………...... 18
Annexes………………….…………………..……………………………………………………….19
Annex 1 - OSCE Action Plan on improving the situation for Roma and Sinti ….…….19
Annex 2 – Participants’ contributions……………………………………………………..21
Welcome byPete Mercer ...... 21
Neil Kavanagh...... 22 Jo & Bridie Jones ...... 24
Peter Jones ...... 26
Ann Emslie ...... 31
John Coxhead ...... 33
Jessica Piper ...... 36
Mike Sampson ...... 38
Michelle Lloyd & Elizabeth Johnstone ...... 40
Ian Taggart ...... 44
Caroline Keane & Winnie Keenan ...... 50
Philippe Guichard ...... 54
Lola Valles ...... 56
Kalliopi Lykovardi ...... 59
Executive summary
This Regional Workshop focusing on Western EuropeGypsy and Traveller Issues formed part of an ongoing programme of activities sponsored by the OSCE Contact Point on Roma/Sinti Issues (CPRSI), which is designed to promote the recommendations on policing contained in the OSCE Action Plan to Improve the Situation of Roma and Sinti.
The Workshop was held at the Hayes Conference Centre,Derbyshire, UK on 27-28 November 2006. It was organised by European Dialogue in association with the Derbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group (Siobhan Spencer) and the East Anglian Gypsy Council (Peter Mercer).
The overall aim of the workshop was to identify practical measures that would help to implement the recommendations of the policing chapter of the OSCE Action Plan for Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti, in the UK and other countries of Western Europe with substantial travelling communities.
The two-day programme provided an opportunity for community organizations and police representatives to share their current experience and future plans with the other participants and for discussion on the recommendations in the Action Plan.
The report provides a summary of the keynote presentations, the presentations made byrepresentatives of the Gypsy and Traveller community, police practitioners and other governmental participants, as well as the conclusions/recommendations of the overall working group.
The workshop was undoubtedly successful in raising awareness among the participants, insharing experiences of various initiatives and key actors on issues relating to policing and Gypsy and Traveller communities. The individual presentations showed that some positive steps had already been taken to address the issues covered by the recommendations in the OSCE Action Plan in local settings, whilst other steps had been taken on a wider national level. These initiatives provide examples which others can learn from, and a useful foundation on which further work can be built. However, much more must be done within the region if the Action Plan’s recommendations on policing are to be fulfilled. There is a need for a more sustained and systematic approach, covering all of the recommendations on policing, and in particular for more effective engagement with Roma communities, most of all,at the national level.
The report concludes with a set of more specific recommendations, formulated by the workshop participants,on how work should be taken forward in the UK and Western Europe more broadly.
Introduction
This report provides an overview of the proceedings of the West European Workshop on Policing in relation to Roma, Gypsy and Travellers held on 27-28 November 2006 at the Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Derbyshire.
The workshop was organised by the UK-based NGO European Dialogue in association with the East Anglian Gypsy Council and the Derbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group. Peter Mercer (President of EAGC), Siobhan Spencer (DGLG) and Robin Oakley (Consultant to the OSCE Roma and Police programme/European Dialogue) acted as Convenors. Nicolae Gheorghe, Adviser on Roma/Sinti Issues to OSCE), acted as Adviser to the Convenors.
The event was held with the support of the OSCE – ODIHR - CPRSI. The funding and other assistance provided by this organisation is gratefully acknowledged.
[Background]
This workshop was part of the OSCE sponsored ‘Police and Roma: towards safety for multi-ethnic communities’ programme and followed regional workshops in Poland, Russia and the Balkans. The programme, coordinated by European Dialogue, also included the ‘Romanian Police Strategic Initiative’ which supported the Romanian police in undertaking an assessment of their policy and practice vis a vis Roma (and other minorities) and in relation to international standards/codes of practice, to promote compliance with the OSCE Action Plan for Roma and Sinti, policing section.
The situation for Roma in Central and Eastern Europe has been well documented and has attracted much activity, including the Decade of Roma Inclusion. However, the situation in Western Europe, particularly for travelling communities, also raises serious issues of lack of access to justice, both social and criminal. For example, the situation for UK-based travelling communities has reached a critical point, with evictions from ‘illegal’ sites creating worsening relations between Gypsy/Traveller communities and police/local government.
However, there are also a number of examples of co-operation between police and Gypsy/Traveller communities, and some local and national authorities, which are working more positively towards resolution of problems. This workshop aimed to draw together these positive examples of good policy and practice, together with similar experiences in other Western European countries with substantial travelling communities, to identify problems and possible solutions. The workshop also provided a forum for identifying capacity-building needs of Gypsy/Traveller NGOs, and promotingawareness-raising among Gypsy/Traveller communities of national legislation and provision, of the international aspect of their situation, and the international instruments and institutions which are concerned with these issues.
[Objectives]
The overall aim of the workshop was to identify practical measures that would help to implement the recommendations of the policing chapter of the OSCE Action Plan for Roma/Sinti in the UK and other countries of Western Europe with substantial travelling communities.
Objectives of the workshop were as follow:
1. To identify the general issues relating to relations between Roma, Gypsies and Travellers and police in a number of Western European countries
2. To identify the specific issues relating to policing in countries where travelling continues as a way of life for Roma, Gypsy and Traveller groups.
3. To document, exchange experience of, and assess existing examples of policy and practice of the police in responding to these issues
4. To identify good practice, and to formulate recommendations for future actions to promote the implementation of the OSCE Action Plan in the Western European region
[Participants]
Participants were drawn from across Europe, many from the UK.
Four categories of participants were invited: members of Gypsy and Traveller communities and organizations, police officials, and representatives from governmental and intergovernmental (OSCE) organizations active in this field. Overall, the following five countries were represented: Greece, Ireland, Spain, Franceand the United Kingdom. Altogether 35 participants, together with European Dialoguestaff, attended the workshop.
List of workshop participants
Pete Mercer East Anglia Gypsy Council–England,UK
Siobhan SpencerDerbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group - England, UK
Robin OakleyConsultant for the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) in Europe / European Dialogue - England, UK
Romy Danflous European Dialogue - England, UK
Andy Roberts European Dialogue - England, UK
Mary ChingangaEuropean Dialogue - England, UK
Caroline Keane Pavee PointTravellers’ Centre – Ireland
Winnie Keenan Pavee PointTravellers’ Centre – Ireland
Ray Brennan Garda Siochana - Ireland
Kalliopi Lykovardi Greek Ombudsman’s Office - Greece
Lola Valles School of Police of Catalonia–Catalonia,Spain
Philippe Guichard Gendarmerie Nationale - National Consultative Committee on ‘Gens du voyage’ - France
Charlotte Boisse Fédération Nationale des Associations Solidaires d’Actions pour les Tsiganes et Gens du Voyage - France
John Coxhead Derbyshire Constabulary - England, UK
Carole BristerDerbyshire Constabulary - England, UK
Simon LeckieSkills for Justice - England, UK
Muzelley McCreadyDerbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group - England, UK
Peter Jones CheshireConstabulary - England, UK
Jo Jones Canterbury Gypsy and Traveller Support Group - England, UK
Bridie Jones Canterbury Gypsy and Traveller Support Group - England, UK
Ann Emslie Training the Trainers - England, UK
Tommy Collins Justice for Travellers - England, UK
Ian Taggart Ex-Grampian Police –Scotland, UK
Michelle Lloyd Save the Children–Scotland, UK
Elizabeth Johnstone Save the Children–Scotland, UK
Maggie Smith-Bendall Somerset Romany - England, UK
Neil Kavanagh Merseyside Police - England, UK
Mike Sampson Cambridgeshire Constabulary - England, UK
Nick Williams Association of Chief Police Officers/London Metropolitan Police - England, UK
Don McCulloch London Metropolitan Police - England, UK
Jessica PiperHome Office - Police Equality and Diversity Policy Team,Police Human Resource Unit - England, UK
Andrea Reynolds Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary - England, UK
Murat Yildiz OSCE Strategic Police Matters Unit (SPMU)
Nicolae Gheorghe OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) – Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues (CPRSI)
Vrej Atabekian OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
- Tolerance and Non-Discrimination (TND)
[Summary of Proceedings]
On the first day, the programme opened with introductory speeches from the main partner organizations and keynote presentations by the representatives of various relevant OSCE departments. These presentations served to outline the content of the Action Plan for improving the situation of Roma and Sinti, to give an overview of these organizations’ activities on an international level and to set the context in which the workshop was taking place. Delegates emphasised the need to build upon existing national and international documents such as the Action Plan. During a plenary session all the participants exchanged their views on the nature and causes of problems in Gypsy & Traveller/police relations, thereby identifying the key issues that needed to be addressed. A list of the main issues identified is included in this report. The two following sessions of the day were devoted to consideration of the initiatives undertaken in the UK at the local and national levels respectively.
The morning session on the second day was devoted to presentations by the other Western European participants, which prompted a lot of interest and debate. These overviews provided an opportunity for individual participants to present projects or other initiatives with which they had been involved. Whilst some conceptual approaches differed from country to country, it was also felt that several important issues were common to all, thereby reinforcing the use and value of sharing and disseminating examples good practice across different national settings. The final plenary session of the workshop, on the afternoon of the second day, sought to draw conclusions and considered practical actions for the way forward. A list of papers and other documents presented at the workshop is included in this report, as are the recommendations set out in the final plenary session.
The conclusions of this consultation could be reported to a follow-up meeting of the workshop participants at a later stage. Meanwhile a steering group, consisting of the convenors and main partner organisations, should meet in order to plan a programme of follow-up activities and to consider how further funding support could be obtained. Possibilities such as regional or subject-specific meetings (e.g. on training) were raised. Existing participants should be kept in touch with developments, but it would also be necessary to involve a wider range of people, particularly from countries not so far represented.
Overall, judging from the feedback received from participants, this workshop was felt to be a successful event.In drawing together a variety of actors working on the issues at hand, this workshop provided an open platform for the participants to voice their opinions and suggestions freely, and thus build a constructive dialogue. In brief, this workshop succeeded in establishing a focused discussion, as a basis for further cooperation, and the opportunity for sharing diverse and novel approaches to improving Gypsy & Traveller-police relations.
Several major documents and reports have contributed towards making the issues regarding Gypsy & Traveller and police relations more visible; we refer notably to the OSCE Action Plan in 2003, from the UK, the Home Office report[1] in 2005 and the CRE report[2] in 2006. Nevertheless, recognizing the existence of a problem is only the initial step towards any solution. The key concern for most of the participants was about transforming recommendations into action.
The workshop took major steps towards achieving all four of the objectives set out above, although much follow-up work is needed. To that end a set of recommendations – listed below, was formulated.
Participants’ recommendations focused on the following themes:
(a) the need for police to build trust and enhance communication between the Gypsy /Traveller community and the police;
(b) the need for partnership between police and Roma communities in finding solutions;
(c) the need to build stronger Roma associations that can both maintain the pressure for, and contribute to, the necessary change;
(d) the need for a strategic response, with the support of firm political commitment;
(e) the promotion of multi-agency co-operation both in addressing specific issues and in fighting pervasive discrimination against Gypsies and Travellers;
(f) the need to lobby for urgent and effective action on issues surrounding the accommodation / planning permission / evictions nexus.
Overview and Summary of Presentations
[Day one]
The first day started after Pete Mercer from the East Anglian Gypsy Council, and Siobhan Spencer from the Derbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group welcomed the participants and officially opened the workshop.
This was followed bytwo short introductory speeches by MsCarole Brister from Derbyshire Constabulary andMrSimon Leckie representing Skills for Justice.
DrRobin Oakley, as workshop consultant, and MsRomy Danflous alsobriefly intervened to, respectively, explain the background to the workshop and clarify a few technical and organisational practicalities for the workshop.
The first morning consisted primarily of keynote presentations, which were designed to set the context for the workshop.
Presentations were delivered by MrNicolae Gheorghe from OSCE - ODIHR - CPRSI, MrMurat Yildiz from OSCE – SPMU, MrVrej Atabekian from OSCE – ODIHR – TND and DrRobin Oakley on behalf of OSCE – HCNM.
Keynote presentations
Mr Nicolae Gheorghe as Adviser for the OSCE Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues,which was created in 1994, outlined the content and role of the OSCE ‘Action Plan for Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti’, whose motto is ‘for Roma, with Roma’, and within it, the importance of the recommendations on Policing in particular. Whilst the Action Plan proves relevant to the situation of Gypsies and Travellers in Western Europe, Mr Gheorghe stressed the need for a precise use of terminology and definitions. Although common cultural and linguistic features may link Roma, Gypsies, Travellers, Yeniches, etc… the definition of separate ethnic groups, under different historical events and geographical settings,holds deep political implications. In that light, the issues relating to Gypsies and Travellers with nomadic lifestyles should be conceived as Western European issues, dissimilar to those affecting more sedentary Central and Eastern European Roma. What all groups face in common is widespread and persistent discrimination, which impinge on all aspects of their everyday lives.
Mr Vrej Atabekian gave an overviewof the role of the OSCE ODIHR Tolerance and Non-Discrimination. It was established in 2004 as a collection point for information, legislation, statistics and other forms of data regarding racism and discrimination. This monitoring role is complemented by the collection and dissemination of best practice on issues of racial equality and diversity. With particular reference to the theme of policing in relation to Gypsies and Travellers, he outlined the rationale of the TND’s Law Enforcement Officer Training programme on combating hate-crime, currently being implemented in various European settings.
Mr Murat Yildiz gave a presentation on the role of the OSCE Strategic Police Matters Unit, including its joint responsibility with CPRSI for promoting the implementation of the policing recommendations of the OSCE Action Plan. A very useful feature of this outline was to present the POLIS database, which brings together a wealth of information and good practice relating to all matters of policing activities. He also expressed great interest and full support for the work of the CPRSI and European Dialogue in relation to Gypsy/Traveller and police work. While the Action Plan was recognised as a central document, he emphasized the need to identify specific targets towards improving police service, notably in the area of community policing.
Dr Robin Oakleyas Consultant to the OSCE High Commission for National Minorities gave an overview of the role of the organization and outlined the content and rationale of the HCNM Recommendations on Policing in Multi-Ethnic Societies, and their relevance to policing issues relating to Roma, Gypsies and Travellers.
Following these keynote presentations, an open session was held in which all participants were invited to express their viewson what constituted the major issues and concerns with regard to Gypsy and Traveller relations with policing,leading to identification of the key issues that needed to be addressed. A list of the main issues identified is includedin the box on the following page.