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Yesterday, we celebrated Windrush Day marking the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury docks in 1948. The individuals on this ship and their descendants have contributed greatly to British society but faced institutional failings across successive governments. Priti Patel apologised for these injustices and outlined the government's response including the establishment of a dedicated vulnerable persons team, the Windrush taskforce, and a compensation scheme that has made over 12,000 grants of documentation and awarded more than £360,000 in compensation. She committed to continue supporting those affected by providing resources as needed.
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The Windrush generation's contribution to national life is immense, but they faced racism and mistreatment. The Wendy Williams report exposes the Home Office's callousness and incompetence, leading to deep injustice and recommending a change in culture rooted in fairness and diversity.
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The Home Secretary apologises for the Windrush scandal and commits to changing the Home Office's culture. She agrees that action is needed but emphasises the need for time and collaboration with Wendy Williams and other stakeholders to implement recommendations properly.
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Complements the Home Secretary’s approach and welcomes the cross-Government working group, inquiring about its complementarity with the race equality commission headed by Munira Mirza.
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Ms Patel defended the Government's actions, stating that Wendy Williams' report outlined recommendations that evolved under previous Labour and coalition Governments. She acknowledged the complexity of the issue and promised to return to the House before the summer recess with specifics on implementing the recommendations.
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Mr Clarke-Smith emphasised the UK's welcoming attitude towards immigrants, praising their contributions. He asked the Home Secretary about improving uptake and awareness of support schemes for those affected by Windrush injustices.
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Ms Cooper welcomed the Home Secretary's commitment to accepting all recommendations but questioned the current compensation scheme, highlighting cases of individuals who have been waiting for compensation or died without receiving it. She called for an increase in staffing to expedite payments.
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Mr Bell welcomed the Home Secretary’s statement and asked for reassurance that addressing Windrush injustices is her highest priority, acknowledging the importance of fairness in an immigration system.
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Ms Ali condemned the Government's hostile environment policy as institutional racism and urged immediate action to implement Wendy Williams' review recommendations and provide urgent compensation to those affected.
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Welcomed the Home Secretary's emphasis on community engagement in addressing the Windrush matter, asking if church leaders will continue to be engaged.
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Emphasised the importance of working with communities and their representatives from the bottom up to rebuild trust. She highlighted that the Home Office has broken down trust due to previous treatment, necessitating a collaborative approach.
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Critiqued the Conservative Government's compensation process for Windrush victims, noting that despite demands from Members and community organisations, only 60 out of 1,275 claims have been paid, with many waiting over a year. He described the government as callous.
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Disagreed with Tan Dhesi's tone and comments, referring to Wendy Williams' report which shows that lessons should be learned by all political parties. She acknowledged the need for cultural reform within the Home Office.
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Welcomed the Home Secretary's personal commitment to finding solutions and implementing Wendy Williams' 30 recommendations. He asked about evidence of deep cultural reform in 12-24 months.
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Acknowledged the need for long-term cultural changes within the Home Office, including a focus on diversity and representation. She committed to addressing social injustices and inequalities faced by the Windrush community.
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Asked for transparency regarding criteria used in determining compensation claims, citing a BBC drama based on her constituent's experience with wrongful detention and deportation threats. She requested a full payment deadline.
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Acknowledged the interim compensation paid to Kate Osamor’s constituent but emphasised ongoing work in providing justice through compensation, stressing the need for individualized case understanding.
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Expressed regret over injustice allowed towards the Windrush generation and sought assurance that his Department would ensure justice for them.
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Reaffirmed commitment to addressing injustices and social inequalities through compensation, community support, and cultural reforms within the Home Office.
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Critiqued current government policies for fostering institutional racism beyond just the Home Office. She questioned public trust in lessons learned by this government given historical context.
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Asserted her commitment to implementing review recommendations and ensuring justice for Windrush victims despite broader criticisms of institutional racism.
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Expressed gratitude towards the Home Secretary's proactive approach in addressing issues raised by Wendy Williams' report. He asked about assessment of progress made so far and measures to minimize delays in decision making.
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Defended the compensation scheme, highlighting that it takes time to ensure proper assessment and that processes are being worked on to speed up.
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Criticised the Home Secretary for delays in compensating a constituent who lost his job and has been waiting nearly two years for compensation of over £60,000.
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Offered to look into Carol Monaghan's specific case and welcomed her to contact her office with the details.
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Asked for an update on a solution for foreign and Commonwealth armed forces veterans who have slipped through the net in applying for indefinite leave to remain, expressing gratitude towards the Home Secretary's work.
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Acknowledged James Sunderland’s comments and offered to follow up with him regarding foreign and Commonwealth armed forces veterans issue.
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Called for a list of irrational immigration policies that need to be eliminated, criticising the systemic issues in Home Office's approach towards Windrush generation.
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Stated her priority is implementing Windrush recommendations and simplifying the complex immigration system to ensure it is firm but fair.
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Thanked the Home Secretary for recognising the contribution of his parents’ generation and asked for assurance that lessons have been learned from the mistakes made with the Windrush generation.
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Expressed gratitude towards Darren Henry's family and highlighted the positive contributions of immigrant communities to the country, including their involvement during the pandemic.
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Discussed a constituent who faced difficulties proving his right to work for nearly 12 years after being wrongly told he did not have it, and questioned whether £1000 compensation was enough.
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Offered to review Mohammad Yasin's case in further detail if provided with additional information.
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Congratulated the Home Secretary on her commitment and highlighted the invaluable contribution of individuals from migrant communities during the pandemic, specifically regarding health services.
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Confirmed that work is underway to ensure those applying for visas will not pay the immigration surcharge on healthcare and mid-application refunds are being processed.
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Questioned why hostile environment policies such as deportation, no recourse to public funds, and others remain in place despite causing racial discrimination.
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Reiterated her commitment to simplifying the immigration system to make it firm but fair, implying policy changes will be made.
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Asked whether individuals from Commonwealth countries who feel they have been wrongly treated can also apply for the compensation scheme and requested numbers of such applications.
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Confirmed that people from various Commonwealth countries were affected, including Pakistan and India, and offered to share information with the House.
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Discussed a constituent's prolonged struggle to prove his right to reside in the UK despite arriving freely as a child in 1962 and expressed frustration over lack of compensation.
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Offered to work with Barry Gardiner on his constituent's case, asking for background details to facilitate review and answer questions.
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The Home Secretary conflated the Windrush generation with people who were here illegally, which caused public outrage. The Home Secretary is committed to addressing cases personally but needs more resources to process them without having to handle them herself.
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Acknowledged the challenges with the compensation scheme and emphasised her personal involvement due to the scale of injustices. She committed to not delegating responsibility and focusing on providing justice to individuals through a bespoke scheme.
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Complimented the Home Secretary's efforts on the compensation scheme but urged for faster decision rates. She also asked if the scheme would be extended beyond April 2023.
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Asked the Home Secretary about exact actions to change government culture and unpick the hostile environment policy after she admitted institutional racism by successive UK Governments.
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Appreciated the Home Office's swift resolution of a constituent’s case and emphasised that lessons from Windrush have been learned, leading to quick and sympathetic responses.
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Shared details about her constituent Sarah O'Connor's tragic experience with the Windrush scandal and questioned whether complexity or dysfunction was delaying compensation claims.
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Suggested that fully compensating affected individuals while remembering Government’s limitations would be wise, referencing previous administrative failings.
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Asked for updates on community-based alternatives to immigration detention and urged the Home Secretary to end indefinite detention as part of cultural change.
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Requested an apology from the Home Secretary for the hostile environment's role in the Windrush scandal and asked her to review measures urgently.
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Critiqued the slow progress of compensation claims, questioned the bureaucracy involved, and requested easier access for claimants to compensation.
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Welcomed the Home Secretary's statement, expressed regret over injustices faced by the Windrush generation, and urged her to ensure justice for all affected members.
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Acknowledged the scale of injustice and cultural changes required within the Home Office. Emphasised the need to learn lessons collectively and make necessary changes iteratively to serve justice.
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Asked about the average cost a victim would incur for obtaining medical, HMRC, and Home Office records to support compensation claims.
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Expressed sadness over Windrush cases and urged the Home Secretary to ensure that such injustices never occur again.
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Highlighted the importance of teaching Britain’s colonial history as part of a wider strategy to tackle institutional racism. Inquired about the Home Office's educational programme on this matter.
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Commended Bishop Derek Webley for his work and suggested reaching out to other community leaders like Bishop Desmond Jaddoo to address issues disproportionately affecting BAME communities.