‘Hostile environment’ caused immense distress in black Caribbeans, study finds

A demonstration over the scandal in which the Home Office reportedly destroyed thousands of landing cards documenting the arrival of windrush-era migrants and threatening with deportation, sacking and the removal of healthcare, as a result of the government's hostile environment strategy. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

The UK’s hostile environment policies had a worse effect on the mental health of black Caribbean people than the coronavirus lockdown had on the wider population, researchers have found.

The study, by academics at University College London and funded by the Wellcome Trust, used longitudinal data from 58,087 people, with over 2,000 of these participants being from a black Caribbean background.