London leaders have hailed the “pivotal” contribution the Windrush generation made to the capital and called for the scandal that saw immigrants wrongly deported not to be forgotten.
HMT Empire Windrush brought the first large group of people from Caribbean nations to Tilbury, Essex 75 years ago on Thursday and it has since become a symbol of the mass migration from the Commonwealth to Britain between 1948 and 1973.
However, five years ago the Home Office was forced to apologise for not properly recording the details of people granted permission to stay in the UK and destroying the landing cards of Windrush migrants.
At least 83 people who arrived before 1973 were wrongly deported and many more were left unable to work and denied access to benefits and healthcare.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the 75th anniversary could not be commemorated without acknowledging the “disgraceful treatment” some had endured.
“It is important to celebrate the pivotal role the Windrush generation and their descendants have played in helping to make our city the greatest in the world,” he said.
“From those working for the NHS and Transport for London, to the activists and creatives who’ve shaped our culture, their incredible contribution to our lives must always be valued and never forgotten.
“However, we cannot adequately commemorate Windrush without reflecting on the disgraceful treatment members of that generation have endured.
“The Government’s hostile environment has caused untold pain and the subsequent delay in delivering compensation has not only compounded the trauma that’s been inflicted, but shamed our nation.”
Every London borough has organised events to mark the 75th anniversary of the ship’s arrival. But local authorities warned they were concerned at reports the unit responsible for reforming the Home Office after the Windrush scandal had been broken up and the compensation scheme set up in the wake of the crisis was too hard to access.
In Hackney, where about 8 per cent of the population is of Black Caribbean decent, the council is holding drop-in advice clinics on the Windrush compensation scheme, alongside its celebrations.
Carole Williams, Hackney’s Windrush Lead, wrote to Suella Braverman to raise “significant concerns” about the Home Office scheme that should have “offered hope to all those affected so they could be financially compensated for their loss, suffering and harm caused”.
“The failures of the Home Office to effectively manage the Compensation Scheme has created an air of distrust between those affected by the scandal and those groups supporting them,” she said in the letter.
Hackney resident Fitzroy Maynard said he became homeless when he could not prove his right to work.
The 57-year-old, who moved from Antigua to the UK in 1980 when he was a child, lost his job as a caretaker in 2007.
He said he had been offered some money by the Home Office but described dealing with the compensation programme as “worse than hell”.
“I’m not claiming for losing my job, I’m claiming for loss of access to employment after I lost my job,” he said. [The Government] really think either people can’t read or we are stupid. I’m fed up with the behaviour.”
Newham has dedicated its town hall to Caribbean-themed celebrations all day on Saturday.
Rohit Dasgupta, the borough’s deputy cabinet member for Social Justice, told the Standard: “This country was built on the sweat of migrants, and it is important we recognise the huge contributions made by the Windrush generation and their descendants. The hostile environment the Government has created cannot go on. We are determined to celebrate the legacy of all immigrants who helped make London what it is today.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “There have been and will continue to be team changes as the Windrush response is delivered.
“The Government is honouring its Windrush commitments and providing support to those affected every day. Over £75 million compensation has been paid already and the scheme will stay open as long as needed. We will continue to keep our partners up to date. ”
