Dialogue Continues on Compensation Issues Affecting Windrush Community

Dialogue continues surrounding the redress mechanisms under the compensation scheme for the Windrush community.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, said these discussions are critical to addressing the issues faced by this group.

Senator Johnson Smith was addressing the ‘Windrush 75 Reflections from Kingston Harbour’ panel discussion, held at the Ministry, downtown Kingston, on May 25 and livestreamed on several social media platforms.

“As recently as last week, Windrush featured on the agenda of two high-level meetings with my UK (United Kingdom) counterparts. While we acknowledged the efforts made by the UK government to address the wrongs, I reiterated the need for continued attention to address ongoing concern stated by the community and urged timely completion of the implemented redress mechanisms under the compensation scheme,” she said.

The panel discussion is one of several Windrush 75 commemorative activities being held from May 23 to June 22, 2023.

In 2019, the British Government established a scheme to compensate members of the Windrush Generation who were unable to prove their right to live in the UK.

The compensation scheme is open to anyone from any nationality who has the right to live or work in the UK without any restrictions or is now a British citizen and arrived in the UK before December 31, 1988.

It is also open to anyone from a Commonwealth country who arrived and settled in the UK before 1973. Certain children and grandchildren of those arriving before 1973 and some close family members may also be eligible to apply.

People who were wrongfully detained or removed from the UK could also be able to make a claim.

The Windrush Generation were those persons who arrived in the UK from Caribbean countries between 1948 and 1973. Many took up jobs in areas affected by Britain’s post-war labour shortage.

The name ‘Windrush’ was derived from the ‘HMT Empire Windrush’ ship which brought one of the first large groups of Caribbean people to the UK in 1948.