In response to the Windrush Review, published yesterday, Home Secretary Priti Patel announced three new initiatives as she gave an apology in Parliament.
- A new £500,000 community fund for local groups to raise awareness of the Windrush Schemes and support those wishing to claim compensation;
- an advertising campaign to promote the Schemes; and
- an expanded cross-Government Windrush action to develop programmes to improve the lives of those affected.
MJR’s initial response to the report and what action should now be taken is to:
- Accept the report and promise to implement its recommendations in full.
- Ensure the immediate needs of those affected is attended to so that further hardship is avoided.
- Distinguish between undocumented (a small minority) and documented (a significant majority) Windrush Generation to avoid infantilising the whole group; and give credit for community agency, without which the numbers of victims would be much higher.
- Repeal legislations that compound compliant/hostile environment.
- Extend the window to apply to the compensation scheme.
- Ask if offering more money as the Home Secretary did today without making tangible steps to repair, may be seen as further sop and obfuscation.
MJR will be following closely the way in which the government responds to this important report.
