Fears of Gypsies flocking to these shores have proved unfounded. Now
let’s put prejudice aside and examine the real potential of a Roma
contribution to the UK
Last week a friend told me about a conversation he overheard at a
hairdressers in Birmingham. The barber complained about the competition,
which kept rates low by employing immigrant staff. "They’re probably
Romanian, you can tell from the caravans outside," he joked, then added
hastily: "But I shouldn’t say that." In the weeks leading up to 1 January,
Romanians and Bulgarians were said to be queuing up to take advantage of the
lifting of employment restrictions in the UK. Several weeks on we know that
the panic was unjustified and the warnings were pure scaremongering. But the
hairdresser revealed something about the public’s perception of the debate.
Romanians are equated with Roma – hence the association with caravans and
the shyness to appear politically incorrect.
