Windrush row: 124 Indians granted British citizenship

LONDON: Britain has granted citizenship to 124 Indians who arrived between 1948 and 1973 and whose uncertain residency status was part of the Windrush controversy that embarrassed the Theresa May government at the Commonwealth summit in April.

The workers who came to Britain after the World War 2 are called the Windrush generation, comprising mostly citizens from Caribbean countries.

They are named after the MV Empire Windrush ship that brought them to the country.

In an update to the home affairs select committee, home secretary Sajid Javid on Friday said the status of 156 Indians has been regularised: 124 were granted citizenship and 32 given indefinite leave to remain.

Many in the Windrush generation stayed on in Britain over the decades but did not obtain necessary documents to regularise their stay, resulting in some being deported, others facing problems in employment as well as in other areas of life due lack of paperwork.

The Home Office set up a taskforce to deal with the issue after the controversy arose during the Commonwealth meet.

May and Javid have since apologised, and a compensation scheme is on the cards.

Javid said: “I continue to believe it is important that we take a cross party-approach which recognises the most important thing we can do is ensure the wrongs which some members of the Windrush generation have faced are put right”.

“I look forward to further engagement with the Home Affairs Select Committee in that spirit. In the meantime, I can reassure members that my department is entirely focussed on righting the wrongs experienced by the Windrush generation”.