Doing right by the Windrush Generation

Image: Windrush Foundation

Leela Ramdeen, Consultant, Catholic Commission for Social Justice, Archdiocese of Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago writes:

On Sunday, 22 June, the UK will commemorate Windrush Day to "honour the contributions of migrants to the post-war economy. Specifically, it celebrates African-Caribbeans who began arriving on the HMT Empire Windrush in 1948" (Wiki). Windrush Day was launched by the UK government in 2018, as an annual national celebration of the Windrush Generation.

This decision was made in light of the Windrush Scandal/ the public outcry/petition to Downing Street/ the report of the Windrush Lessons Learned Independent Review by Wendy Williams/ apology by the then Home Secretary Amber Rudd for the "appalling" treatment of Windrush citizens by her own department, which had "become too concerned with policy and strategy and sometimes" lost "sight of the individual"/the apology by the then PM Theresa May to the leaders of 12 Caribbean countries - at a summit of Commonwealth heads of government in London - for the "anxiety caused" by the treatment of British citizens, who arrived in the UK as children as far back as the 1940s. The Lessons Learned Review by Wendy Williams concluded that what happened to those affected by the Windrush scandal was "foreseeable and avoidable". The review made 30 recommendations.

The UK's National Archives reminds us that "Black people have lived in Britain for over two thousand years...We cannot tell the history of Britain without including their stories. " English Heritage website acknowledges that "Black histories are a vital part of England's story..."

During the First World War, many Caribbean men went to Britain to join the army. Thousands of men and women from the Caribbean volunteered in the Second World war to come to the aid of Britain. And in the post-war years the Windrush Generation played a key role in rebuilding the country and reshaping British culture and identity. Most of those who went to the UK from the Caribbean did so at the invitation of the British government-responding to job adverts in local papers in their respective countries. After World War II there was a labour shortage in the UK and people were needed to help with the rebuilding efforts.

On 22 June 1948 HMT Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury Docks in Essex, England. On board were 1,027 passengers, 802 of whom were from the Caribbean, including more than 100 serving and former Armed Forces personnel.

People from the Caribbean and their descendants have made/continue to make significant contributions to British society. The scandal of Windrush has left a "bitter taste" in the mouths of many. It will take a while for healing to take place. When the then Home Secretary Amber Rudd stood down in 2018, the new UK Home Secretary Minister Sajid Javid pledged to "do right by the Windrush generation". Read - "The government's response to the Windrush scandal". Research Briefing. Published Wednesday, 04 September, 2024 - House of Commons Library):

"The Windrush generation is a group of people who migrated to the UK from Caribbean Commonwealth countries between 1948 and 1973. Such people are entitled to live in the UK permanently but many of them did not have documentation to prove this.

Because they were unable to prove their right to live in the UK, some members of the Windrush generation and other long-standing UK residents were wrongly treated as illegal immigrants. They were consequently denied access to employment, healthcare and other services, and in some cases detained or removed from the country.

The Conservative government set up two programmes to support people affected...Under these schemes:
17,000 people have received documentation confirming their status or British citizenship (up to the end of March 2024)
8,800 claims have been made for compensation, of which 2,600 have received payments (up to the end of July 2024).

Some have criticised the compensation scheme, saying that it has been too slow and bureaucratic, and that payments do not adequately reflect losses. The government has made several changes to the design and operation of the scheme since it was launched, including to make compensation payments more generous and increase the number of staff working on it.
£94 million has been paid in compensation, as of the end of July 2024. Total compensation scheme payments could exceed £165 million if Home Office estimates of future claims are correct."

The Labour government (Labour Party Manifesto) "made commitments to improve the response." We await the appointment of the promised Windrush Commissioner - an independent advocate for those affected. Interviews were estimated to end on 19 May 2025.

Let's celebrate the diversity of Britain's history.