Windrush Review — [Esther McVey in the Chair]

Thanking her hon. Friend for securing the debate, Abena Oppong-Asare echoes concerns over the Windrush compensation scheme being slow, poorly trained advisers, lack of independence in payments, and failure to implement Wendy Williams' recommendations.

Ms McLaughlin highlighted the failure of the government to implement all recommendations from Wendy Williams' report. She emphasized that people's lives were adversely affected, and compensation for victims has been slow or inadequate. She also criticized the hostile environment policy and suggested transferring the Windrush compensation scheme to an independent organisation.

The Windrush generation has transformed British culture, particularly in areas like Brixton. The Government's compensation scheme for victims of the Windrush scandal is underperforming with only 26% of eligible people having applied and 11% receiving compensation. At least 23 people have died waiting. The Home Office should take meaningful steps to fix this by transferring the compensation scheme to an independent organisation. Additionally, there needs to be recognition of institutional racism in immigration policies.

My hon. Friend agrees that one of the worst things about the Windrush scandal was the emotional impact on a proud generation who thought they were British. She stresses the emotional impact of the Windrush scandal on her parents and highlights the slow progress in compensation disbursement. Only 25% of applicants have received their compensation, raising concerns about delays and potential claimant reluctance due to previous negative interactions with the Home Office. Abbott calls for an independent organisation to manage the scheme and suggests reimbursing legal costs for claimants. My hon. Friend agrees that many black women from the Windrush generation came to work as nurses, contributing significantly to the NHS. Diane Abbott stated that figures obtained by the Home Affairs Committee in Sheffield were different from what the Minister was informed of, offering to write to him with more details on these figures.

In response to Abena Oppong-Asare's intervention, Florence Eshalomi highlights the Guardian article featuring her constituent Cuthbert Prospere's ongoing struggle for compensation after years of working life were lost.

Ms Furniss highlighted the impact of the Windrush scandal on individuals like Tanya, whose British citizenship was questioned despite her being born in Britain. She also shared the story of a constituent who faced deportation to Jamaica despite having no family ties there after serving his sentence for a criminal offence. Ms Furniss stressed that steps are needed to make Britain welcoming for migrants and refugees, but the Home Office's ongoing hostile environment policy hinders progress.

The Windrush generation should be treated with humanity, not hostility. The Government needs to fix the compensation scheme or hand it over to an organisation capable of delivering justice, as claimants have waited long enough for resolution.

I highlighted the importance of recognising the contributions of the Windrush generation and the role institutional racism played in the scandal. I criticised the Government's lack of progress on Wendy Williams' recommendations, particularly regarding a full review of hostile environment policies. The compensation scheme needs compassionate and empathetic individuals who can understand the applicants' situations. She advocates for a workforce that reflects those affected by the Windrush scandal. Marsha de Cordova questioned whether the Minister had heard concerns about the representation of those delivering the compensation scheme, suggesting that more empathetic and representative individuals should be involved in its delivery. Marsha de Cordova reiterated that she is not advocating for a private company to run the compensation scheme but instead emphasised the importance of having an independent body separate from the Home Office to administer it, given ongoing fears and reluctance due to the hostile environment.

Ms Blake expressed concern about the Home Office's lack of progress on future risk areas identified in Wendy Williams' review, including the failure to appoint a migrant commissioner and engage with affected communities. She highlighted the need for centring individual voices impacted by policy and criticised recent decisions such as sending Afghan young people back home before the crisis struck.

Paul Blomfield raises a policy issue regarding deportation and seeks Abena Oppong-Asare's opinion on Stephen Shaw's recommendation that the Home Office should no longer seek to remove those who have never known another country as home.

Ms Hamilton highlighted the launch of an exhibition celebrating Windrush migrants' contributions to British society and expressed distress at reports of mistreatment. She criticised the Windrush compensation scheme as complex, lacking in legal advice, slow to process claims, and offering insufficient compensation. She called for respect and dignity for the Windrush generation who built Britain's foundation.

Kinnock expressed concern over the Home Office's hostile environment policies, highlighting their failure to address migration issues effectively and stressing the need for culture change within the department. He criticized the Government's lack of progress on implementing changes recommended by Wendy Williams' report, emphasizing the continued skepticism among external stakeholders about significant improvements. Stephen Kinnock highlighted that only 960 people had applied to the compensation scheme by the end of January, which is approximately 20% of those eligible. He argued that placing the compensation scheme under the Home Office was a significant mistake due to mistrust among the Windrush generation and suggested moving it into an independent organisation.