New funding to tackle hate crimes against the GRT community

Ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day 2017, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has today announced £375k of new funding for groups that have historically faced challenges in reporting and preventing hate crime.

As part of the package, the Government will support The Traveller Movement, the leading charity for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. This will help the organisation further develop a social media campaign called #OperationReportHate which will raise awareness of the challenges the communities face.

The Traveller Movement will also develop a programme targeted to the community itself that will help tackle anti-LGBT sentiment as part of a broader approach to standing up to and preventing hate crime.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said:

“Holocaust Memorial Day is a stark and important reminder of what can happen when hate and intolerance spirals out of control and specific groups are targeted simply because of what they believe.

“These funds build upon what Government is already doing through the Hate Crime Action Plan to challenge the misperceptions that lead to hate crime and support victims from the Traveller community to stand up and report incidents.”

“Let me be clear. Hate crime has no place whatsoever in British society. We will not stand for it.”

Minister for Faith and Integration Lord Bourne said:

“This new funding will support communities most at risk that may find reporting and preventing hate crime challenging for a variety of cultural and historical reasons.

“Every community in Britain should feel confident in standing up to the perpetrators of hate crime and make it clear that hate and intolerance is entirely unacceptable.”

Yvonne MacNamara, Chief Executive of the Traveller Movement said:

“This funding is a welcome step from the Government in recognising the seriousness of hate crimes towards Gypsies, Travellers and Roma and the need to challenge prejudice attitudes toward the communities.

"All too often hate crimes and hate speech, particularly on social media and in newspapers, against GTR communities are ignored, encouraged and unpunished. The Traveller Movement will continue to work with our partners in #OperationReportHate to raise awareness of and challenge these hate crimes.”