Episode 1 of 12
Windrush Through the Eyes of a Child
Going to start doing some deep dives into researching how the UK set up offices in the Caribbean (eg Jamaica) encouraging people to come to live and work in the UK. All arrived in the UK by sea at that time ie the late 1940s and 1950s. The flagship of the PR at the time was the ship the Windrush. My dad was one of those people who left his wife and family in Jamaica and travelled to the UK seeking work. Times were hard. majority of vacant rooms had signs outside stating No Blacks Allowed. Old run down properties (Housing in Multiple Occupation) were used to house black men. Multiple occupants to each room.
The book I am researching entitled “Windrush Through the Eyes of a Child”. Times were hard. All arrived in the UK by sea at that time ie late 1940s to the1950s. The flagship at the time was the ship the Windrush. My dad was one of those people who left his wife and family in Jamaica and travelled to the UK seeking work. Times were hard. majority of vacant rooms had signs outside making it clear that POC were not welcome. Old run down properties (Housing in Multiple Occupation) were used to house black men. Multiple occupants to each room.
My dad worked and saved his money to buy a ticket for my mom to come and join him. He found a room to rent in a house owned by an interracial couple. They were vilified by their respective communities but they welcomed my dad. His rent would help them renovate their home and my dad needed to have somewhere decent to bring my mother to. HiMO of all men was not going to be suitable. My mother like so many women at the time left 3 children with her parents to join my dad. Those siblings were aged around 2-12. I was born in that UK rental which was owned by the interracial couple and where my parents rented one room. Over the next several years my parents worked and saved to buy a house of their own, and saved up for tickets for my siblings to travel to the UK to find work and join my parents and I. The first two siblings came to the UK on NHS training programmes to be Nurses. Accommodation was provided and they had training programmes that lasted 3 years. The third one arrived at age 16. can you imagine the trauma of leaving your children behind for all those years whilst working to provide a home for them. The third and final one found work straight away and lived with my parents and I. The fifth and final child was born and remained living at the house my parents owned. The experiences of our 3 older siblings and the two of us who were born in the UK were vastly different. This scenario was replicated across the UK. 50 years later the UK started to deport adults who came to the UK as babies. The deportations have been inhumane and will remain a blight on the UK. My family had paperwork. not everyone did. To take action 50 plus years later is beyond cruel. Children born to parents coming to Britain on the requests from the UK government, together with those of us born in the UK, have seen and experienced so much. It is time for our voices to be heard. The children of those brave individuals who accepted invites from the then Mother Country to come and help rebuild Britain again. Some adults were forced back to the Caribbean to a country they do not remember and too many now live in poverty or have lost their life – their wives, husbands and children left behind in the UK. Most relatives in the Caribbean are no longer alive, and many of those returning, returned with the bare minimum of luggage, and no means to just book into hotels for months on end, until they found a home. How were they meant to pay for a new life, that they had no plans to do, and leaving their homes and family, often including grandchildren behind without knowing if they would ever see them again.
The Role of the UK Government & Deportation
In the aftermath of World War II, the United Kingdom faced significant labour shortages in key sectors such as transportation and healthcare. To address this, British organizations actively recruited workers from the Caribbean, particularly from Jamaica and Barbados.
Recruitment Initiatives:
- London Transport: In February 1956, at the invitation of the Barbadian government, London Transport initiated a recruitment drive in Barbados. This program was later expanded to include applicants from Jamaica and Trinidad in 1966.
- National Health Service (NHS): The NHS also sought to alleviate staffing shortages by recruiting nurses from the Caribbean. By 1955, sixteen British colonies had established selection and recruitment agencies to facilitate this process. Hospital matrons and British officials visited the Caribbean to attract trained nurses and young women interested in training in the UK.
Establishment of Recruitment Offices:
The Barbadian government played a proactive role by establishing a Sponsored Workers Scheme in 1955, appointing an officer in London to assist Barbadians in finding employment in the UK. This initiative led to over 27,000 Barbadians migrating to the UK between 1955 and 1966.
While Barbados had formal recruitment structures, similar official offices specifically set up by the UK government in Jamaica or other Caribbean islands are not well-documented. However, the active recruitment efforts and the presence of selection agencies suggest coordinated efforts to attract Caribbean workers.
Experiences of Migrants:
Many Caribbean migrants were enticed by the prospect of better opportunities in the UK, sometimes described as having “streets of gold.” Upon arrival, however, they often faced substandard and overcrowded accommodation. Discrimination in housing was prevalent, with many private landlords refusing to rent to Black individuals. This situation led to overcrowded living conditions, as multiple families or groups of individuals were forced to share single dwellings.
As families began to reunite, men who had initially migrated sought better housing to accommodate their arriving wives and children. This often involved working multiple jobs to save for mortgages and travel expenses, aiming to provide a stable home environment. Despite the challenges, these communities demonstrated resilience and resourcefulness, gradually establishing a vibrant Caribbean presence in various UK cities.
The contributions of these migrants were instrumental in rebuilding post-war Britain, particularly in sectors like public transport and healthcare. Their experiences, while marked by hardship, also reflect a legacy of determination and cultural enrichment that continues to influence British society today.
Migrating to the North of the UK
After World War II, the United Kingdom faced significant labour shortages and encouraged migration from the Caribbean to fill various roles. While many migrants initially settled in London, there was a notable movement to other regions, particularly the industrial towns and cities in the Midlands and the North.
Migration Beyond London:
- Industrial Employment: The post-war period saw Caribbean migrants taking up employment in various sectors across the UK. Many were employed in war factories in the North-West of England, contributing to industries essential for Britain’s recovery. Additionally, a significant number worked in forestry in Scotland. These roles were crucial in addressing the labour shortages of the time.
- Community Formation: As migrants moved to these regions, they established vibrant communities. For instance, in Leeds, Alford Gardner, a Windrush passenger, co-founded the Leeds Caribbean Cricket Club in 1948, fostering community spirit and cultural integration.
Challenges Faced:
Despite their contributions, Caribbean migrants often encountered significant challenges:
- Employment Discrimination: Many were restricted to jobs that were undesirable to the local population, including street cleaning, general labouring, and night shifts. Opportunities for advancement were limited due to discriminatory practices.
- Windrush Day 2020
- Housing Discrimination: Finding accommodation was particularly difficult due to prevalent prejudice and discrimination. Many private landlords refused to rent to Black families, leading to overcrowded living conditions.
Despite these adversities, the resilience and determination of the Windrush generation led to the establishment of enduring communities across the UK, significantly enriching British society and culture.
The Windrush scandal, which came to light in 2018, exposed the wrongful detention, denial of services, and deportation of many individuals who had legally migrated to the UK from Caribbean countries between 1948 and 1973. Despite their legal status, a lack of official documentation led to severe hardships for these individuals, many of whom had spent their entire lives in the UK.
In summary here is the nuts and bolts of the Deportation situation in a few paragraphs, as described in the Guardian. All Reference sources are quoted at the end of the article that will be published within 48 hours of the podcast airing. You will be able to do some research of your own if you so wish, by exploring some or all of the links listed at the end of the article. You could also, of course, wait until the book that these 12 podcasts are published in a book, which will hopefully be published around 2026/27.
Q&A
What is the Windrush deportation scandal?
Who are the Windrush generation?
They are people who arrived in the UK after the second world war from Caribbean countries at the invitation of the British government. The first group arrived on the ship MV Empire Windrush in June 1948.
What happened to them?
An estimated 50,000 people faced the risk of deportation if they had never formalised their residency status and did not have the required documentation to prove it.
Why now?
It stems from a policy, set out by Theresa May when she was home secretary, to make the UK ‘a really hostile environment for illegal immigrants‘. It requires employers, NHS staff, private landlords and other bodies to demand evidence of people’s citizenship or immigration status.
Why do they not have the correct paperwork and status?
Some children, often travelling on their parents’ passports, were never formally naturalised and many moved to the UK before the countries in which they were born became independent, so they assumed they were British. In some cases, they did not apply for passports. The Home Office did not keep a record of people entering the country and granted leave to remain, which was conferred on anyone living continuously in the country since before 1 January 1973.
What did the government try and do to resolve the problem?
A Home Office team was set up to ensure Commonwealth-born long-term UK residents would no longer find themselves classified as being in the UK illegally. But a month after one minister promised the cases would be resolved within two weeks, many remained destitute. In November 2018 home secretary Sajid Javid revealed that at least 11 Britons who had been wrongly deported had died. In April 2019 the government agreed to pay up to £200m in compensation.
By the end of 2020, victims were describing the long waits and ‘abysmal’ payouts with the scheme, and the most senior black Home Office employee in the team responsible for the Windrush compensation scheme resigned, describing it as systemically racist and unfit for purpose.
Photograph: Douglas Miller/Hulton Archive
Destruction of Landing Cards:
A significant factor contributing to the scandal was the destruction of landing cards in 2010. These cards were crucial records of the arrival dates of many Windrush immigrants. Their destruction, carried out by the UK Border Agency, left many without the necessary documentation to prove their legal right to reside in the UK. This action has been widely criticized for its role in the subsequent mistreatment of the Windrush generation.
Impact on Individuals:
The loss of documentation led to numerous injustices:
- Detention and Deportation: Many individuals were wrongfully detained and, in some cases, deported to countries they had not seen since childhood. The Guardian reported that at least five people had died after being deported to Jamaica following the exposure of the scandal.
- Denial of Services: Without proper documentation, many were denied access to healthcare, employment, and housing. This led to unemployment, homelessness, and an inability to access necessary medical services.
Government Response:
In response to public outcry, the UK government acknowledged the failures and promised corrective measures:
- Apology and Compensation: In 2018, then-Prime Minister Theresa May issued a formal apology to Caribbean leaders and promised compensation to those affected.
- Policy Reforms: Home Secretary Yvette Cooper reinstated a dedicated Home Office team in 2024 to reform the department and prevent future injustices. This unit focuses on ensuring humanity in decision-making and maintaining close collaboration with affected communities.
Ongoing Challenges:
Despite these efforts, challenges persist:
- Compensation Delays: The compensation scheme has faced criticism for being inaccessible and slow, with many victims still awaiting redress.
- Continued Threats of Deportation: Cases have emerged where long-term residents, such as Samuel Jarrett-Coker, face deportation due to unresolved immigration status, highlighting ongoing systemic issues.
The Windrush scandal remains a significant chapter in UK history, underscoring the importance of fair and just immigration policies and the need for continued vigilance to protect the rights of all residents.
Recent Developments in the Windrush Scandal
Windrush grandfather at risk of deportation after almost 50 years in UK
UK immigration laws ‘cannot be uncoupled from racism’, say minority ethnic MPs
Five years after the apology by then-Prime Minister Theresa May for the life-altering losses due to the failure of the UK’s Home Office to provide people with the necessary paperwork to prove lawful status in the UK, promises to right these wrongs now ring hollow. People were stripped off their rights, thousands faced unemployment, homelessness, loss of health care, loss of education, inability to access benefits, and even detention and deportation. And yet members and relatives of the Windrush generation are still waiting in vain for fair and adequate compensation for their hardships.
Framework of the Podcasts and the Book
Creating a comprehensive framework for the book, video podcast, and outreach can be a powerful way to share these important stories and gather additional perspectives.
“Windrush Through the Eyes of a Child”
- Introduction
– Briefly introduce the concept of the Windrush generation.
– Explain your personal connection and motivation for writing the book.
- Historical Context
– Describe the socioeconomic conditions in the UK and the Caribbean during the 1940s-1960s.
– Detail the UK government’s recruitment efforts and the journey on the Windrush.
- The Early Experiences
– Arrival in the UK and initial challenges faced by immigrants.
– Discuss the housing issues, including discrimination and living conditions.
- Family Separation and Reunion
– Share stories of family separation, like your parents’ situation.
– Detail the process and challenges of reuniting families.
- Life in the UK
– Explore the everyday experiences of immigrants, including work, community, and racism.
– Discuss the role of interracial support and relationships.
– Just under 50% of those whose travelled to the UK in response to helping rebuild the UK again, consisted of highly qualified individuals, most of whom were allocated positions far below what they were capable of and experienced in. One example I found, among many examples, was a gentleman who used to be in the RAF. No one would give him a job based on his abilities. As a result, his first role offered, was sweeping the floor in the factory where he was employed. The gentleman concerned decided that he was not going to stay for this, so he signed up to rejoin the RAF. Secured a position, and some years later he returned and secured an engineering role which involved working with welders.
- A New Generation
– Highlight the varied experiences of children born in the UK versus those arriving later.
– Include personal anecdotes and memories from your childhood.
- Reflections on Racism and Resilience
– Discuss how racism impacted the community and individuals.
– Highlight stories of resilience and community support.
- The Windrush Scandal
– Describe the deportations and their impact on individuals and families.
– Discuss the broader implications and reactions.
- Conclusion
– Reflect on how far the community has come and the ongoing challenges.
- Appendices
– Include any responses from organizations or government agencies.
– Provide resources for further reading or support.
Video Podcast Framework:
- Introduction Episode
– Introduce myself and the podcast’s purpose.
– Share a brief personal story to engage listeners.
- Historical Background
– Share information about the Windrush generation’s journey.
- Personal Stories
– Interview family members or others from the Windrush generation.
– Share personal anecdotes about specific experiences.
- Expert Insights
– Interview historians, sociologists, or activists.
– Discuss the broader context of immigration and race relations.
- Current Issues and Reflections
– Address the Windrush scandal and ongoing challenges.
– Encourage listeners to share their own stories.
Online Outreach Plan:
- Develop a Website or Blog
– Share key excerpts from the book, podcast updates, and personal stories.
– Encourage visitors to share their own experiences.
NB The website exists, and will be the place where all 12 articles will reside, each month, and any updates from any government or private organisations involved in any capacity with Windrush.
- Social Media Campaign
– Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to share stories, quotes, and history.
– Invite people to participate using a specific hashtag.
NB I hope to get this off the ground, but at this stage it is too early to say. I am balancing a few plates, plus this equally important work.
- Email List and Newsletter
– Send updates about the project and invite submissions.
NB above, pertains to this bullet point as well at the moment.
- Online Submission Form
– Create a form where people can submit their stories for consideration.
The forms are done. I just need to do a final check and to also put the form on headed paper, and the logo, and of course, my Business email address.
Potential Organizations and Agencies to Contact:
- Home Office (UK Government)
- Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
- The Windrush Taskforce and Advisory Panel
- Organizations like The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)
- The Runnymede Trust (racial equality think tank)
- Caribbean High Commissions in the UK
NB One of the two forms mentioned earlier is for these organisations, and any other that I come across where I believe a response would be useful.
Reading materials starters:-
For outreach to these organizations, a professional proforma communication has been produced, that explains the purpose of the book and podcast, and kindly requests their input or responses related to their roles in historical and current immigration policies.
Here are some recommended books and resources that provide valuable insights into the Windrush generation and the broader context of Caribbean migration to the UK:
- “The Lonely Londoners” by Sam Selvon – A classic novel that provides a vivid portrayal of Caribbean immigrants in London during the 1950s.
- “Small Island” by Andrea Levy – A historical novel that explores the lives of Jamaican immigrants in post-war London.
- “Windrush: The Irresistible Rise of Multiracial Britain” by Mike Phillips and Trevor Phillips – A powerful account of the Windrush generation and their impact on British society.
- “Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions” by Valeria Luiselli – While not specifically about the Windrush generation, this book offers insight into the immigrant experience through the author’s experiences with child asylum seekers.
- “Homecoming: Voices of the Windrush Generation” by Colin Grant – A collection of personal stories and interviews with members of the Windrush generation.
- “The Windrush Betrayal: Exposing the Hostile Environment” by Amelia Gentleman – An investigative account of the Windrush scandal and its consequences.
- “Black and British: A Forgotten History” by David Olusoga – This book provides a comprehensive history of black people in the UK, including a section on the Windrush generation.
- The Windrush Foundation website (www.windrushfoundation.com) – Offers resources and information about the history and legacy of the Windrush generation.
These resources offer a mix of personal narratives, historical analysis, and fictional accounts that will help you gain various perspectives on the experiences of the Windrush generation.
These resources offer a mix of personal narratives, historical analysis, and fictional accounts that will help you gain various perspectives on the experiences of the Windrush generation.
REFERENCE SOURCES
https://www.ourmigrationstory.org.uk/oms/london-on-the-move-west-indian-transport-workers?utm
https://www.windrushday.org.uk/news/how-caribbean-migrants-helped-to-rebuild-britain/?utm
https://www.windrushday.org.uk/news/how-caribbean-migrants-helped-to-rebuild-britain/?utm
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/commonwealth-migration-since-1945/
Web Links:-
to make the UK ‘a really hostile environment for illegal immigrants