Annual day to honour Windrush generation

A nATionAL day will be held to ‘recognise and honour’ the Windrush generation, the Government has announced.

The annual celebration will take place every June 22, the date around 500 migrants from the West indies arrived in the UK on the cruise ship Empire Windrush after the Second World War.

communities minister Lord Bourne, speaking days before the 70th anniversary, said it would help ‘recognise and honour the enormous contribution’ of those who arrived in 1948 to help the country rebuild, as well as their descendants.

He told activists that the day will be supported by a grant of up to £500,000, overseen by a panel of British-caribbean repre- sentatives, that will be offered each year to charities and community groups to hold events. ‘it will keep their legacy alive for future generations, ensuring that we all celebrate the diversity of Britain’s history,’ Lord Bourne said.

Windrush Foundation director Arthur Torrington said the announcement was a ‘moment of great satisfaction’.

‘it will cement in the national consciousness the important contribution of those who travelled from the caribbean to Britain 70 years ago to build a better life and participate in making Britain a stronger nation,’ he said. A national service of thanksgiving will also be held this Friday at Westminster Abbey to commemorate the 70th anniversary.

At the time of their arrival, every Windrush migrant had an automatic right to stay, but many never applied for passports or were formally naturalised.

changes to immigration rules in 2014, dubbed the ‘hostile environment’ strategy, then meant some Windrush migrants were treated as illegal immigrants and left unable to rent properties, work, open bank accounts, access nHS treatment or hold driving licences. in some cases, they were wrongly detained and deported.

The scandal led to Amber Rudd resigning as home secretary earlier this year, and her predecessor at the Home office, Theresa may, came under fire for the strategy.

Sajid Javid, who replaced miss Rudd, signalled a softening of immigration policy under his leadership. He pledged to ‘do right by the Windrush generation’ and told mPs: ‘When i heard that people who were longstanding pillars of their community were being impacted for simply not having the right documents to prove their legal status in the UK, i thought that it could be my mum, my brother, my uncle or even me.’

Last month mr Javid told the commons home affairs select committee that 63 members of the Windrush generation may have been wrongly deported.