That's partially why it's such a big and complicated problem. On one hand, historical and systematic prejudice and injustice towards "travelers" is real. On another hand... Sadly, a lot of the prejudice is based on experience. It's a self-perpetuating problem. It's a tragedy.
The term "travelers" itself is confusing, UK based as far as I know. In most places, the common words used are derogatory.
Everyone in Europe will know who you're talking about. But as I've seen other people here describe. It's more of a way of life, than an ethnicity (which itself has lose definitions) or ancestry. It's difficult to just say "them", especially if one's used to trying their best to be politically correct, and overall, not an asshole.
Charities and government funds are allocated to the aid for the Roma people. Oftentimes to the outrage of the majority public. Why? Because success stories are, sadly, sparse and unreported. Stories about entire districts/settlements leeching off of government support are frequent. Sometimes, "special" schools would be raised to help offer education, and despite it being free (as all education in my home country), it would rarely be used up to its full capacity.
I was brought up to be polite. To not discriminate. But when I moved to a bad part of town... That politeness wouldn't help a thing. Me and my colleagues from university had to develop non-recognisable slang for roaming gangs of "travelers" when we left the faculty later in the afternoon, god forbid at night. "They" would mug people. Pick fights. Steal. All windows on the first two floors in the town i lived were barred, welded shut, from the outside. You couldn't even hang flowerpots on your windowsills. If you're not in a public and busy space, you'd pick up on the accent, and turn a corner as soon as you can. A lot of the town was scary and very dangerous to go to. Entire apartment blocks would be squatted out.
The situation... In some places, is getting better. We've had several classmates out of a Roma background in all levels of education. Individuals battling for the their rights and against systematic discriminstion. But there was, and is, a large disparity between how many kids you'd see on the street, and how many you'd see at school.
And to anyone following this topic, being aware of the cultural diversity of Europe, would ask: "How is it possible that a group(s) of people, could go about existing, without assimilating or integrating?"
Asking an uneducated bloke in rural central Europe, you'd get the answer: "because that's just how they are, they're nomads, g*psies"
Despite studying global development, I'm not educated on this to give a better concrete answer. I can only guess and form opinions I'm myself not satisfied with. Why can't we just get along?
What do these many groups have in common? You'd think that they're nomadic. There is no other distinguishable group of people in Europe that's nomadic. BUT, some of "them" seem to have settled, or attempted to partially integrate themselves into a contract with governments.
Why partially? Governments have money, they can grant benefits, donate, and fund projects. The sentiment often is, that they want to leech off of the government, but not participate in "our" society. Imagine a very lenient social contract (theory; Hobbes). I'm not here to speak for the Roma people, but after speaking with a documentarist who followed the story of a Slovakian Roma settlement, their sentiments seemed to pose the government x individual relationship very differently than for me. I see myself as a citizen, I work and pay taxes to get benefits from the government. In this Example, they oftentimes are not, or did not begin as, citizens. With no "ancestral land" to claim allegiance to. Their languages differ from the locals, and so does their way of life. And they do not want to give that (themselves) up. But given the opportunity, living in a settlement with no address, water, electricity, or trash collection, would you try and get as much support from the government? Anyone would. But you aren't employed. But you have kids! Governments pay you for each child you have, and send to school. You don't pay taxes. You (most of the time) are not employed. But you can get a citizenship to get the basic advantages. And the locals aren't so happy with that. They don't like you. They don't want the government to fund you. They see you as a blight. Because they see you're not participating in what the social contract between a citizen and the government would expect you to. All the whilst being extremely culturally different.But governments are run by people, not only politicians, by people sitting in offices doing hoards of paperwork, doctors in public healthcare and supported by the countless individuals participating in running a society, the store clerks, construction workers. Systematic discriminstion is developed. Sometimes... to the horrifying cases of doctors forcibly sterilising Roma women.
Oh the disparity. We know education helps combat crime rate. Hand in hand with higher standards of living and hygiene decrease the amount of children a mother would carry in her lifetime.But these advantages are based on localized institutions. They're not optimalized for nomads, or "benefits-citizens".
Even the racists and xenophobists struggle. Send them back to their own country!They don't have one.Stop giving them money!Crime rate goes up.Put them in a reserve!They're nomadic. And have no clear desire or ties to a place. As well as participating in "modern" activities. Phones, laptops, social media. And... They're a modern and diverse group you can't really put into one bag, despite their similarities.
Where I come from, you're expected to have an opinion. But rarely do people want to discuss the nitty gritty of it all.
It's a very sensitive and complicated issue. With terrible things done on both sides of the argument. Governments often try to not touch the topics as much as they can. I want to believe that communication and cooperation is the way to solve any problem. But so many before me have tried and failed. I hope things get better. How? I've no clue.
Edit: grammar
