UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, who has previously issued a formal apology for the Windrush immigration scandal which wrongly denied citizenship rights to thousands of Commonwealth nationals, on Thursday unveiled a new campaign to ensure those affected can access government support and compensation.
The Indian-origin Cabinet minister said she is keen to drive change within her Home Office department in the wake of the scandal from over two years ago, which caused hardship to Commonwealth nationals, including many Indians, welcomed into Britain to address labour shortages in the wake of World War II until immigration rules were later tightened.
It resulted in many historic cases of forced deportations or denial of other citizenship-related rights due to a lack of sufficient paperwork to prove a legitimate entry and settlement in the UK.
“I am driving change to make sure nothing like this can happen again,” said Patel.
“It is essential that people who have been affected by Windrush get the support and compensation they deserve. This new campaign will raise awareness of the Windrush Help Team and the support available so that as many people as possible apply,” she said.
The Windrush generation refers to citizens of former British colonies who arrived in the UK before 1973, when the rights of such Commonwealth citizens to live and work in Britain underwent a legal modification.
While a large proportion of them were of Jamaican/Caribbean descent who came on the ship Empire Windrush on June 22, 1948, Indian and other South Asian immigrants from that era also fall within the Windrush generation categorisation.
The Home Office said its new campaign features real people who have applied to the various Windrush support schemes, and caseworkers from the Windrush Help Team, to highlight the benefit of applying and the human faces behind the service.
The 750,000-pound campaign, which will run until mid-October, will use a range of channels, such as community radio and press adverts, to increase awareness amongst those most affected around the UK.
“The Windrush Working Group is determined to see the wrongs righted and to this end has collaborated with the Home Office to develop this new campaign which, we hope, will encourage more people to apply to the Windrush Compensation Scheme,” said Bishop Derek Webley, co-chair of the Windrush Cross-Government Working Group set up in the aftermath of the scandal.
The scheme applies to anyone who settled lawfully in the UK before the end of 1988 or anyone whose parents are from a Commonwealth country and settled lawfully in the UK before 1973. Some grandchildren and close family members may also be able to claim compensation via a free application process.
According to the Home Office, over 12,000 people linked to the Windrush generation have already received documentation confirming their residency status in the UK, including nearly 1,400 Indians, and a growing number have been awarded compensation.
People who qualify can apply under multiple categories of adverse impact and there is no overall cap on the amount someone can receive. Categories for loss include employment; detention, deportation removal and returns; housing; health; education; impact on normal daily life; and immigration fees and associated legal costs.
