June 9, 2009, Basildon, England: The Basildon District Council is advertising for bids on a $3 million contract to forcibly remove about 90 Traveller families from their homes in Dale Farm in southeast England.

The Dale Farm Housing Association, an Advocacy Project (AP) partner, is insisting that Council freeze plans for an eviction and grant the planning permission needed for families to remain in their homes. A large-scale eviction and relocation could cost up to 25 million euros, in addition to forcing Traveller children out of schools and creating a public health crisis.

The Travellers want the Council to continue the dialogue started on April 23 during a meeting with Commission for Equality and Human Rights, instead of moving forward with their eviction plan. They are also appealing to local churches and social justice organizations to oppose the eviction and lobby the Council and British government on their behalf.

AP, which has supported the Travellers since 2005 and previously sent two Peace Fellows to Dale Farm, will be contacting relevant members of the United Nations and the British Embassy.

The Dale Farm crisis began in 2005 when it was determined the Travellers were living on Green Belt land that is environmentally protected from development. Eviction orders were issued in 2005 and 2007. The most recent threat began after the UK Court of Appeal ruled in January that the Travellers could be legally evicted.

However, the court ruled that the Council cannot make the Travellers homeless, and is still responsible for finding alternative land, under the East of England Regional Assembly and the 1996 Housing Act. So far, the Council has ignored these requirements.

Today, British Parliament Member John Barron offered a plan to help the Dale Farm Travellers move amicably outside of Basildon. This would be a temporary solution that would still leave the Travellers without a true home.

While the Travellers support Mr Barron’s intervention, they maintain that steps must be taken prior to any eviction to find a permanent home on land that they own, according to Grattan Puxon, secretary of the Dale Farm Housing Association.

Travellers have been consistent targets of racism and discrimination in the UK, despite the fact that most were born in the UK and are British citizens. Advocates for the Travellers note that British law recognizes them as a distinct ethnic group in need of protection.