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A recent study suggests that social experiments conducted on Gypsy travellers in Scotland, which included forcibly removing children from their families, amounted to a form of “cultural genocide”. Various state-sanctioned programs aimed to “settle” travellers by compelling them to abandon their nomadic lifestyle in favor of permanent settlements across Scotland. The draft report, commissioned by the Scottish government, highlights a deliberate and systematic effort to separate and remove Gypsy traveller children from their families and communities.
Beginning in the late 1800s, efforts to assimilate travellers into mainstream Scottish society were documented, with a particular operation known as the “Tinker Experiment” running from the 1940s to the 1980s. The research, conducted by independent academics at the University of St Andrews, uncovered a disturbing pattern of placing traveller children in care, industrial schools, or placing them for adoption with non-traveller families both within Scotland and overseas. The academics involved in the study recommend that the Scottish government issue an apology and consider providing compensation to those affected by these historical policies.
Members of the traveller community in Scotland have long been advocating for acknowledgment of the mistreatment they endured. The leaked report detailing the findings of the research underscores the severe impact of state actions on families and communities, revealing a dark chapter of complicity in the removal and segregation of traveller children labeled as “cultural genocide”. Personal testimonies from individuals like Martha and Elizabeth shed light on the emotional trauma and lasting scars left by the forced separation of families and the attempted erasure of a unique culture.
Researchers acknowledge the challenges in quantifying the exact number of individuals affected by these policies and actions, highlighting the complexity of understanding the full extent of the harm caused. The Scottish government, in collaboration with local authorities and organizations, has been working on an action plan aimed at supporting improvements in various aspects of Gypsy traveller communities’ lives. By addressing the historical injustices and involving community voices in decision-making processes, the government aims to pave the way for a more equitable and inclusive future for Scotland’s Gypsy travellers
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