DON’T LET THE HOME OFFICE GET AWAY WITH IT.

Sign the open letter

Journey to the land of promise - 1954 Into Southampton came another 130 immigrants from the West Indies. Their assets are a few pounds in their pockets - and a touching faith in Great Britain. Since the war more than ten thousand West Indians, mostly Jamaicans, have settled in Britain. Their one way ticket costs about £100. Miniature Harlems are finding root in London at Brixton, Paddington, Camden Town and Stepney, and in Birmingham, Liverpool and Sheffield. Picture shows a divorcee riding to London with his sister and nine-year-old son Michael. 1 May 1954

130 passengers arrived in Southampton, emigrating to Britain from the West Indies. Sisters Veronica and Velveta McGregor (on right) take tea in the train on their way to London, where their father will be waiting. 1953

Wet welcome for immigrant West Indians. A West Indian mother and child catch a first glimpse of the land which is to become home, as they arrive in Southampton docks from the Spanish passenger vessel Montseraat. nearly 300 west Indians arrived on board the Spanish ship. The immigrants are believed to be hurrying to Britain before any rumoured restrictions are made on their entry. 24th October 1961

An employment exchange 120 feet below ground has been constructed in

Evelyn Wauchope, a Jamaican woman (a dress maker from Kingston, Jamaica) who stowed away abroad the Empire Windrush, found herself elevated to a first class passenger when she was discovered. Evelyn Wauchope - photographed on arrival at Tilbury Docks. June 22 1948

Some of the thousands of West Indian Immigrants disembarking from the liner Begona at Southampton shortly before the Commonwealth Immigration Act came into force. 2 July 1962

Arrivals on board the ex-troopship, HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury. An RAF recruiting officer speaks to a group of men interested in joining the Royal Air Force. 22 June 1948

A West Indian woman with a child in her arms picks her way down the gangplank of the Spanish liner Begona at Southampton with over 400 fare paying immigrants. They were the last group to arrive by sea before the Commonwealth Immigration Act is forced. 30 June 1962

1200 children, from more than 100 schools, were among the great crowds which cheered Queen Mary when she opened the new £90,000 extension to Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton. Photo shows: black children waving flags as Queen Mary arrived. 14 October 1938

IMMIGRANTS FROM JAMAICA ARRIVE SOUTHAMPTON ON BALMORAL WOMAN & BABY 24 OCTOBER 1961

They were invited here to help rebuild the Mother Country

The Home Office Scandal

In 2012 the Hostile Environment led to the mass violation of rights of the WIndrush generation and their descendants. Many were wrongfully detained, deported and lost access to essential services. The compensation, created and controlled by the Home Office, has fallen short of delivering justice and the impacts are still experienced to this day.

The facts

More than 16,000 British citizens misclassified as illegal immigrants as a result of the Hostile Environment policy

Many lost their jobs and access to pensions, essential services, housing and more

Only 6% of eligible applicants have received compensation

Less than ⅓ of allocated funds have been paid out after nearly 5 years

Victims continue to live under threats of detention and deportation

The scandal is not over.

OUR MISSION

We are storytellers and Windrush advocates. Using the power of film and television we will amplify the voices of the Windrush generation to:

Raise awareness, educate Britain and ignite a collective call for action

Ensure full and swift compensation to Windrush victims

Bring an end to the Hostile Environment policy

Together we must ensure windrush victims are SEEN, HEARD and HEALED

WHY?

“Every descendant of the Windrush generation feels this injustice deep in their soul. There but for the grace of God go all our mums and dads who could also have been betrayed by the nation that promised them a home. Sadly, we live in a world of racial bias, which makes education on topics like slavery and colonialism all the more important, from young to old. Growing up in a colony, my father was taught these subjects at school in Jamaica, as part of the English school curriculum. Yet when he arrived here at 20 years of age in 1955, he was shocked that those subjects weren’t taught here in the UK, where it all began. And astonishingly they’re still not part of the school curriculum in 2023. If you don’t know the history, you don’t see the injustice. It’s time to change that. Respect and justice for the Windrush generation is long overdue.
We need Justice. NOW.”

Colin McFarlane

Actor & Campaigner

“After the horrendous murder of Stephen Lawrence on 22nd April 1993, I hoped the opportunity might come to finally address the challenges of bigotry, hatred and racism which have pervaded the British Establishment for far too long. Tragically since then, nothing much seems to have changed. There are still so many injustices to be faced up to.
Our purpose is to keep the issue of Windrush front and centre in people’s minds so that justice might finally be delivered. Britain’s Windrush generation must be seen, heard and healed. They deserve nothing less.”

Annie Lennox

Singer, Songwriter & Campaigner