Home Office publishes critical report on origins of Windrush scandal

The report comes in response to Wendy Williams' “Windrush Lessons Learned Review”, which highlighted the need for Home Office staff to be educated on Britain's colonial past, the history of migration, and the experiences of black Britons. 

The Windrush Scandal first came to the public's attention in 2017, as it emerged thousands of people had been denied their legal rights and forced into crisis because they were unable to prove their right to live in the UK. 
 
The group of people affected became known as the Windrush Generation, named after HMT Empire Windrush, which arrived in the UK in 1948 bringing hundreds of passengers from Jamaica, travelling to help re-build post-war Britain. 
 
A tribunal judge previously ruled that the report must be disclosed in response to a Freedom of Information request. The previous government refused to disclose it, even when challenged through the courts. 
 
The newly published report looks into the relationship between UK immigration policies and racial history, offering insights into how these have shaped the nation's approach to immigration over the decades. 
 
Key findings from the report include: 

• Changes in immigration and citizenship laws since 1948 disproportionately affected Britain’s black communities, compared to other racial and ethnic groups. 
• Major legislative changes in 1962, 1968, and 1971 were designed to “reduce the proportion of people living in the United Kingdom who did not have white skin". 
• There was a “dysfunctional” relationship between the Home Office and organisations set up to deal with race relations in the second half of the 20th century.  

This report does not provide specific recommendations. Instead, it serves as an “accessible explainer on how race and immigration policy came to be so closely entwined in the political history of the UK".

Leigh Day human rights lawyer Jacqueline McKenzie represents hundreds of people affected by the Windrush scandal and has been working to secure the rights of Caribbean-born Britons since before the scandal hit the headlines in 2018.   

In a letter to Jacqueline, MP and Minister for Migration and Citizenship Seema Malhotra expressed a commitment to greater transparency and to ensuring that victims receive the respect and support they deserve from the government. 
 
Seema Malhotra MP wrote: 
 
“The Windrush scandal shamed our country – the country the Windrush generation helped rebuild after the Second World War, and in which they made their home and grew their families. Whether by working in our public services, fighting discrimination, or enriching our culture, Windrush communities have made – and continue to make – an immeasurable contribution to our society.  
 
“That those same people who came here to help Britain at a time of great need should later be made to feel as though they did not belong here was, and remains, an outrage. The scandal has left an indelible mark on our collective conscience. 
 
“Publishing this report is a small step, but it is a signal of our intention to be more transparent and to ensure victims get the respect and support they deserve from their government. Greater transparency from the Home Office will be accompanied by a commitment to listen and learn. For too long you have gone unheard, but that will not happen on my watch. As the Home Secretary did in opposition, we will continue to meet with victims, families, and stakeholders from the outset.” 
 
Jacqueline McKenzie was a member of the independent advisory group that delivered the Windrush Lessons Learned Review in March 2020 which resulted in an official apology from the Home Secretary.   
 
Jacqueline McKenzie said: 
 
"It is extraordinary the lengths previous governments went to suppress the report, the Historical Roots of the Windrush Scandal, causing the suppression to become the story. But the report provides an important contribution to our understanding of the story of immigration to the UK in that it includes a delve into the early history of  settlers and invaders, as well as providing an understanding of how immigration legislation of the 60s, 70s and 80s, were designed to reduce the number of people with Black or Brown skin who were permitted to live and work in the UK.  The report confirms to those of us who long suspected this, that the Windrush scandal is symptomatic of the actions of post-war governments in the 20th century, including deep-rooted racism. 
  
“Both the Windrush and racism continue to be stains on the conscience of modern Britain. How Black and Brown people, legally in the UK, came to lose jobs, homes, educational opportunities, be banished from their own country, be removed and deported,  and be detained in immigration removal centres, because of specific actions and policies, most notably changes in legislation and the hostile environment, is well set out.  These findings must now serve as a catalyst for urgent redress for the victims of the scandal, but also enable meaningful actions on addressing the ongoing inequality experienced by large numbers of people from the Windrush communities.”