← Back to Westminster Hall Debates
Windrush Review — [Esther McVey in the Chair]
29 June 2022
Lead MP
Kate Osamor
Edmonton and Winchmore Hill
Lab Co-op
Responding Minister
Kevin Foster
Tags
ImmigrationEmploymentStandards & Ethics
Word Count: 13062
Other Contributors: 12
At a Glance
Kate Osamor raised concerns about windrush review — [esther mcvey in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The Minister should urgently review the levels of awards issued to claimants, increase staff numbers to speed up the process, simplify decision-making, and ensure an independent appeals process for compensation offers.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The compensation scheme for the Windrush scandal has failed to deliver justice, with only one in four applicants receiving any compensation. More than 28 people have died without receiving an offer of compensation, and many face long delays and inadequate awards that do not reflect the trauma they endured. The process is also lacking transparency and independent scrutiny.
Erith and Thamesmead
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.
Anne McLaughlin
SNP
Glasgow North West
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.
Clapham and Brixton Hill
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.
Diane Abbott
Ind
Hackney North and Stoke Newington
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.
Florence Eshalomi
Lab Co-op
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
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.
Gill Furniss
Lab
Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough
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.
Ivan Lewis
Lab
Rhondda
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.
Battersea
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.
Olivia Blake
Lab
Sheffield Hallam
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.
Birmingham Erdington
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.
Stephen Kinnock
Lab
Aberavon Maesteg
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.
Government Response
Kevin Foster
Government Response
The Government has taken substantial steps in addressing the Windrush scandal, including paying out more than £48 million in compensation to over 1,800 claimants. Training for staff includes a new module on the experience of Chinese seamen facing deportation after World War II. Additional funding and staff have been allocated to ensure timely processing and engagement with community groups. The Home Office is committed to implementing all recommendations from Wendy Williams' report, including recruiting an ethics adviser and establishing a migrants commissioner role.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.