Windrush citizens will be compensated ‘where appropriate’, says May
Members of Windrush generation who have been unfairly treated by the Home Office will be compensated "where appropriate", Theresa May has said.
Speaking at a press conference to mark the closing of this week's Commonwealth heads of government (CHOGM) summit, the prime minister said compensation would be offered to resolve the "anxieties and problems" of those who had been threatened with deportation despite having lived in the UK for decades and qualifying as British citizens.
The Windrush generation comprise people who came to Britain between 1948 and 1971 from the Caribbean, originally to help it rebuild after the war.
Read more: A Home Office that cant handle Windrush is not fit for purpose
They have lived here for several decades, but have fallen foul of changes introduced to the immigration system while Theresa May was home secretary, which aimed to make it easier to identify and expel illegal immigrants from the UK.
The problem was made worse by the fact that in 2010, the Home Office destroyed thousands of landing cards making it more difficult for Windrush citizens to prove their right to stay in the UK.
May gave a public apology to the 12 leaders of the Caribbean nations she was meeting during the CHOGM summit, saying that "these people are British, they are part of us, they helped to build Britain and we are all the stronger for their contributions".
May is under pressure to act after it emerged that thousands of people had been threatened with losing access to services such as the NHS, deportation and even detention if they fail to show valid documentation – however in many cases papers were never published.
There was also confusion about a specific case, Albert Thompson, whom May said would now be receiving the cancer treatment previously denied to him. However, according to his local MP, Chuka Umunna, Thompson claims not to have been told of this and is still in the dark over his treatment.
Tottenham MP David Lammy has spoken passionately about the issue, describing it as "a national day of shame" that had been brought about by May's "hostile environment" and "far right rhetoric".
"If you lie down with dogs, you will catch fleas," he said.
Meanwhile, co-leader of the Green party Caroline Lucas called for an independent review of the Home Office in the wake of the scandal.
The appalling cruelty exposed by the #Windrush scandal is a direct result of *deliberate* policies, especially Theresa May's 'hostile environment'. We need an independent review of the Home Office. Please ask your MP to sign x-party Early Day Motion 1182 > https://t.co/Buyv5w9wc5pic.twitter.com/DNBjTp4sGG
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) April 20, 2018
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