The Windrush generation deserves justice – not video chats with the home secretary

Disir

Platinum Member
Sep 30, 2011
28,003
9,605
910
Just as trailers for the BBC’s Windrush drama Sitting in Limbo were released at the start of this month, Anthony Bryan, who was wrongly imprisoned for five weeks after mistakenly being classified as an illegal immigrant, and whose story is dramatised in the film, received an interim offer of compensation from the Home Office. It was two and a half years after officials first realised they had made an error, and more than two years since the then prime minister, Theresa May first apologised for the Home Office’s mistakes. The compensation letter came exactly a week before the film was due to go out on television, and the timing of its arrival made him very thoughtful.

A few days before Sitting in Limbo was broadcast, emails and calls started coming from the private office of the home secretary, Priti Patel, asking if Bryan would join a video call with her just an hour before the film went out. The home secretary is “actively thinking” about “giving a voice” to the Windrush generation, one email read, “and feels it vitally important to hear directly from affected members of the community, such as Mr Bryan”.

It looks like there is a lot of work that needs to be done there. Some need to get really busy.
 
Not sure how many of these people could establish their status since the arrival cards were destroyed. I am not sure blaming/slighting Patel is really productive though. She inherited the situation and the law required the deportation of those with serious offenses. Perhaps they should just come up with a reasonable criteria to get them officially established of record once and for all even if it is as loose as requiring all to register and accepting things like sworn affidavits as proof.
 
The scandal isnt Patels fault but she is probably the last person likely to be of any help.
The fault can be laid at the door of Teresa May and her "hostile environment" policy.
I do think that if May hadnt gone on to be PM it would have been sorted sooner but we will never know.
If you have a person of pensionable age. You have their school records, you have their work history, tax records, service history in some cases. Their kids live and work here and their Grandchildren also live here. Its not a big leap of faith to concede that they are British rather than deport them or persecute them till they die.
 

Forum List

Back
Top