"Windrush Generation"
The Windrush Generation refers to individuals from Caribbean countries who immigrated to the United Kingdom between 1948 and 1971, following an invitation from the UK for Commonwealth citizens to help rebuild the nation after World War II. The term is named after the MV Empire Windrush, which brought the first significant group of these immigrants to the UK on June 22, 1948. The arrivals included many children who traveled on their parents' documents, leading to challenges later when changes in immigration laws required proof of citizenship. Despite being legal residents due to their British colonial ties, many from the Windrush Generation faced difficulties proving their status as records were often lost or destroyed.
In the late 2010s, a scandal emerged when individuals from this generation were wrongly classified as undocumented migrants, leading to denied access to services, deportations, and loss of benefits. The UK government acknowledged the injustices faced by the Windrush Generation, prompting public apologies and the establishment of compensation schemes. Windrush Day, celebrated on June 22, was introduced to honor their contributions to British society and culture, marking the enduring legacy of these immigrants. The experiences of the Windrush Generation reflect broader themes of immigration, identity, and the complexities of citizenship in a multicultural society.
"Windrush Generation"
The Windrush generation refers to individuals who arrived in the United Kingdom (UK) from Caribbean countries between 1948 and 1971. The name is derived from the ship MV Empire Windrush, which carried 492 passengers from the Caribbean to Tilbury Docks, Essex, on June 22, 1948. The large-scale immigration ended with the 1971 Immigration Act, which permitted Commonwealth citizens to remain in the UK indefinitely.
Children who arrived in the UK from the Caribbean did not have their own passports because they traveled on their parents’ documents. The immigrants were legal citizens of the UK because they came from British colonies. However, over the years, legislation changed and they were required to provide documentation proving they were legal immigrants. During the 2010s, many of these grown children discovered that their foothold in Europe might be in danger because records of their families’ landings were not kept or were destroyed and they had no proof of how and when they arrived. A review of cases uncovered at least eighty-three people who had arrived before 1973 and were deported from the UK. Others who were born in the UK faced deportation because they could not prove their parents were in the country legally.
Background
The UK experienced two significant events slightly more than twenty years apart. The nation lost nearly nine hundred thousand troops and civilians in World War I (1914–1918) and more than four-hundred-fifty thousand in World War II (1939–1945). With the end of World War II, the UK immediately had to set about rebuilding while also repaying its war debts. This required a tremendous workforce, which the nation simply did not have. Workers were needed to rebuild cities bombed by Germany, staff the transportation system, and help build and staff the newly created National Health Service.
Commonwealth nations had ample labor and populations that had recently had positive experiences with the UK. Many of the citizens of the Commonwealth had served or worked with the UK military. Unemployment in the Caribbean was high, and people in other parts of the British Empire, such as Cyprus, India, and Pakistan, wanted to move to escape violence in their homelands. The UK invited residents of all Commonwealth countries to move to the UK with promises of British passports and abundant employment opportunities. The first wave of immigration to the UK took place in 1947, but the 1948 arrival of the MV Empire Windrush, with nearly five hundred immigrants from Jamaica, drew the most attention to the influx. Among the passengers were many children traveling on their parents’ passports. The newcomers built roads, rebuilt cities, and nursed the sick. Through the 1950s and 1960s, immigrants from many Commonwealth countries arrived to work in the flourishing textile and engineering factories.
In 1962, the UK enacted the Commonwealth Immigrants Act to limit immigration. Many men who were working in the UK had planned to return to their homeland eventually, but realized the legislation might prevent them from doing so. Instead, they moved their families to the UK and chose to become permanent residents. All those Commonwealth citizens who arrived before a new immigration law that went into effect in 1973 were legally free to live and work in the UK without additional documentation. They significantly contributed to the increasing multicultural flavor of the UK’s cities.
Overview
In 2017, a number of cases came to light in which individuals who had immigrated to the UK before 1973 were being denied services because they did not have documentation to prove they were in the country legally. Many had lived in the UK for fifty years, having arrived legally when the UK issued its invitation to residents of Commonwealth nations. They did not realize that changes to the law since their arrival required them to prove citizenship or apply formally for UK citizenship. This was especially difficult for those who had entered the country as children, because their arrival had not been documented.
These immigrants who had arrived between 1949 and 1971 were called the Windrush generation. Members of this group said in the late 2010s that they had been turned away by medical facilities and denied housing. Some said they had been deported or threatened with deportation. Many approached retirement after decades of hard work only to be told that they were undocumented migrants and not entitled to pensions or other benefits. Many reported that they were stunned and heartbroken to be told they were not citizens of the country in which they had lived for most of their lives.
Individuals born in the UK are granted birthright citizenship if their parents are legally in the country at the time of their birth. Members of the Windrush generation had no such proof of legality, however. This left their children born in the UK in limbo as well. The Home Office destroyed landing cards belonging to Windrush migrants in 2010 and did not keep records of those who were permitted to stay in the UK. The Home Office also failed to issue any documents confirming immigrants were in the UK legally.
In 2018 Prime Minister Theresa May addressed the growing controversy of the "Windrush Scandal," and apologized for the UK government’s treatment of some immigrants from the Caribbean. In 2019, Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced that those who had been wrongfully detained or removed from the UK could apply for compensation from a newly established program. Only a few claimants received compensation, however, and in February 2020 the deadline to apply was extended for another two years. Compensation was to be distributed based on a number of situations, including removal from the UK, denial of higher education, and detainment.
The UK government recognized the contributions of Caribbean immigrants in 2018 with the establishment of the first Windrush Day on June 22. The celebration of the Windrush generation and their contributions to society included community events and exhibitions. The Windrush generation, which to many in the UK represents the multicultural nature of the country, was also represented at the 2012 London Olympic Games during the Opening Ceremony with a large model of the Empire Windrush.
Bibliography
“Commonwealth Immigrants in the Modern Era, 1948 – Present.” BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zx93tyc/revision/1. Accessed 14 July 2020.
Czaika, Mathias, and Hein de Haas. “Determinants of Migration to the UK.” The Migration Observatory, 11 Oct. 2017, migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/determinants-of-migration-to-the-uk/. Accessed 14 July 2020.
Gentleman, Amelia. “Windrush U-Turn Is Welcome, but May’s Policy Was Just Cruel.” The Guardian, 16 Apr. 2018, www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/16/windrush-u-turn-welcome-but-theresa-may-policy-cruel. Accessed 14 July 2020.
Harris, Trevor. Windrush (1948) and Rivers of Blood (1968): Legacy and Assessment. Routledge, 2019.
Kirkup, James, and Robert Winnett. “Theresa May Interview: ‘We’re Going to Give Illegal Migrants a Really Hostile Reception.” Telegraph, 25 May 2012, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/theresa-may-interview-going-give-illegal-migrants-really-hostile/. Accessed 14 July 2020.
Lidher, Sundeep. “British Citizenship and the Windrush Generation.” Runnymede Trust, 20 Apr. 2018, www.runnymedetrust.org/blog/british-citizenship-and-the-windrush-generation#:~:text=Under%20the%20Act%20of%201948,terms%2C%20one%20and%20the%20same.&text=The%20Act%20recognised%20Citizens%20of,the%20United%20Kingdom%20and%20Colonies. Accessed 14 July 2020.
Lowe, Keith. “Five Times Immigration Changed the UK.” BBC, 20 Jan. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-51134644. Accessed 13 July 2020.
“The UK’s Windrush Generation: What’s the Scandal About?” Al Jazeera, 18 Apr. 2018, www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/uk-windrush-generation-scandal-180418074648878.html. Accessed 14 July 2020.
“Windrush Generation: Who Are They and Why Are They Facing Problems?” BBC, 24 June 2020, www.bbc.com/news/uk-43782241. Accessed 13 July 2020.
“Windrush Scandal: Home Office Showed ‘Ignorance’ of Race.” BBC, 19 Mar. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-51961933. Accessed 13 July 2020.