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Today is National Windrush Day 2023, marking the 75th anniversary of Windrush Day. HMT Empire Windrush She entered Tilbury, Essex on 22 June 1948 to pick up passengers from the Caribbean to help meet the British labor shortage.
The Windrush generation were pioneers from across the Caribbean who helped rebuild Britain after World War II. They and their descendants continue to contribute to all aspects of British life.
75 years after the first crossing from the Caribbean, celebrations and events are held across the country to honor the immense impact of the Windrush generation and promote community unity and understanding of the Windrush story It has been.
Who are the Windrush Generations?
The Windrush Generation is a term used to describe people who came to Britain from the Caribbean between 1948 and 1973 to help fill Britain’s labor shortage after World War II.
The origin of the name “Windrush” HMT Empire Windrush – The ship that brought one of the first large groups of Caribbean people to Britain in 1948.
HMT Empire Windrush The 492 passengers and others who subsequently arrived in Britain from the Caribbean between 1948 and 1971 became emblematic of a wider mass migration movement and became known as the Windrush Generation.
Since the Caribbean was part of the British Commonwealth at the time, those who arrived automatically became British subjects and were free to live and work permanently in Britain. Many served in the British Army in World War II.
After arriving in the UK, many of them found employment in the newly formed NHS, becoming nurses, manual laborers, drivers and cleaners.
Many others found work in British railways and public transport.
What is the Windrush Incident?
The windrush scandal began to surface after it emerged that the British government had not properly recorded the details of those granted UK residency permits, and many were wrongfully deported.
Hundreds of federal citizens, many of them of the Windrush generation, were found to have been unjustly detained, deported and denied legal rights.
The Immigration Act 1971 gave Commonwealth citizens living in the UK an indefinite leave of absence, the permanent right to live and work in the UK. This also included the Windrush generation.
However, in April 2018, it was revealed that the Home Office did not keep records of those granted residence permits and did not issue the necessary documents to confirm their status.
In 2010, he also destroyed the immigration cards for Windrush immigrants.
Those affected by the scandal have been unable to prove they are legally in the country, have been denied access to health care, jobs and housing, and many have been threatened with deportation.
A review of past cases also found that at least 83 people who arrived before 1973 had been wrongfully deported.
In 2012, a new law was passed making it impossible for illegal immigrants to live in the UK.
Thousands of people who had lived in the UK for decades were suddenly forced to prove they were legally staying there.
The scandal has sparked widespread outrage in the Home Office over the abuse of people legally allowed to reside in the UK.
Why did the wind rush incident occur?
When the Windrush generation arrived in the UK, many children traveled on their parents’ passports. Some did not register their passports because they did not plan to travel abroad.
In 2012, when Theresa May was Home Secretary, a new “hostile environment” bill was passed, imposing increased immigration controls on the NHS, landlords, employers, banks and many other businesses.
A new law found that the children of Windrush immigrants could not prove that they had lived in the UK before 1973 and would be considered illegal immigrants.
The Home Office did not record individual details, making it difficult to prove that those who did not receive paperwork at the time were legally in the UK.
In 2018, it was revealed that immigration cards, which were supposed to prove each immigrant’s arrival, had been destroyed.
2018 saw a number of cases in which Windrush children (now adults) who lived in the UK for decades were threatened with deportation.
The Home Office also imposed the burden of proof on individuals to prove pre-1973 residence.
What is the Windrush Compensation Scheme?
The government eventually apologized and admitted that the windrush incident was “foreseeable and avoidable”. They set up a special commission to give free citizenship and compensation schemes.
The Windrush Compensation Scheme was established in April 2019 and was thought to cover approximately 15,000 people.
However, the system itself has been criticized for slow processing, low offers and unwarranted refusals that are reversed on appeal.
In 2021, the Home Affairs Committee of parliamentarians revealed that the scheme was causing further trauma to those eligible for compensation, with many affected “still too afraid of the Home Office to apply”.
Payments are still being made, but critics say they haven’t been paid quickly enough.
As of 4 May 2023, the total amount paid or offered to claimants amounted to over £70.67 million.
The figures show that £59.55 million has been paid on 1,599 claims, with a further £11.11 million offered, awaiting acceptance or review.
According to this figure, more than 62 percent of claims are finally decided.