Roma News and Views: Home, hope, human rights, and having a voice to fight back with

Patricie Zbila, a Young Catalyst, shares how community work and human rights education from Romano Lav gave her the tools to challenge rising anti-migrant rhetoric.

Patricie co teaching a workshop at Romano Lav

By Patricie Zbila | Photos courtesy of Romano Lav

I'm originally from the Czech Republic. So when I first heard about Nigel Farage’s idea to end ‘indefinite leave to remain’ – meaning he wants to end the system that grants permanent residency to migrants living in the UK – I was worried. 

My first thoughts were: "Does this mean I have to go home? I can't go back home…I already have a life here. Where am I going to go to college?” I quickly started searching about this on social media. Scrolling through TikTok, I saw loads of videos of Farage, the leader of Reform UK, talking about it. At first I thought it was fake, just one of those AI videos. It was in fact real.  

 It felt like everything was coming to an end. For my family it was devastating news as they came to the UK to have a better life and better job opportunities. Hearing this, and worrying that they would maybe have to go back to their home country, was bad news. My mum was thinking about the future and started giving me and my siblings lectures on saving money, and would not stop talking about the situation.

Read more: Roma News and Views: Doma, naděje, lidská práva a mít hlas pro boj s 

 We saw how stressed she was at hearing the news and were constantly searching to see if there were any updates. I think Farage’s idea to make it difficult for migrants to legally settle in the UK permanently would impact Roma people in Govanhill because I know a lot of people in our community who have had jobs here for years, and were terrified after hearing the news; people who have lived and worked here for a long time are worried they might get deported, scared to lose their jobs and places in schools. 

Nigel Farage has often stirred debate with his policies and statements. Some of his actions can be interpreted as violations of fundamental human rights, particularly concerning discrimination and freedom of movement. While his supporters champion his views as a defence of national interests, a closer examination reveals potential infringements on rights that are universally recognised. 

I have Romano Lav to thank for teaching me about my human rights and how to stand up for them. For the past four years I have been a Young Catalyst working alongside them and I can honestly say it's been amazing. We found so many friends working with Romano Lav, gained so many skills, and new doors have opened for us. We’ve all learned a lot of important things – like how our community’s lives are impacted by human rights issues like poor housing, and the importance of voting and making sure our voices are heard. 

We even got to organise our first ever talent show for the Govanhill International Festival & Carnival this year! When we organised the Govanhill's Got Talent show earlier this year, we did so not only to show off the talents of our multicultural neighbourhood, but also to bring people together in solidarity to celebrate that diversity. 

At Romano Lav we don't just focus on culture, we focus on solidarity and bringing all communities together. I can't wait to see what we’ll do next.