The Windrush scandal was the wrongful treatment of lawfully settled Commonwealth migrants, mostly from the Caribbean and arriving before 1973, as illegal immig…
More than 1,000 passengers, many from the Caribbean, arrived as British subjects to help rebuild post-war Britain.
Commonwealth citizens already settled could stay for good. Many were never given any document showing it.
Employers, landlords, banks and the NHS had to check immigration status. The 2014 Act wrote many checks into law.
Guardian reports showed long-term residents detained, sacked or refused care because they could not prove their status.
Amber Rudd and Theresa May apologised and a taskforce was set up. Rudd resigned on 29 April over removal targets.
The Home Office confirmed 83 wrongful deportations; at least 11 of those removed had died. By 2020, 164 had been detained or removed.
Lost work, housing, healthcare, detention, removal and impact on life. Payments started slowly: about 62,000 pounds by the end of 2019.
Institutional ignorance and thoughtlessness on race at the Home Office. She made 30 recommendations, all accepted that June.
Three recommendations were dropped in 2023. The High Court quashed the decision on two, finding indirect discrimination.
The first Windrush Commissioner gives independent oversight of the response for three years.
Up to 75% paid early during review, pension losses and fees covered, over-75s first. By March 2026, 127 million pounds paid, but most closed claims got nothing.
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