Necropolitics and Necroresistance: A Qualitative Research with Gypsy, Traveller and Roma Communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In this article based on participatory research, we demonstrate how members of the Gypsy, Traveller, and Roma communities experienced the pandemic during a period of increasing criminalisation. Our investigation of responses to the COVID-19 pandemic among community members was enriched by having a criminologist from a Gypsy/Traveller background as part of the research team. The rich data gleaned during interviews provided insight into the broader context of the lives of Gypsy, Traveller, and Roma communities during the pandemic. Using Mbembe's theory of necropolitics to consider how these marginalised communities were experiencing the pandemic, we illustrate necroresistance, small acts of resistance to the pandemic and Governmental responses by communities and individuals. This article explores how individuals took responsibility for their families and broader networks' survival during the pandemic in conditions exacerbated by escalating systemic hostility.