Shropshire Star

Windrush victims get personal apology from immigration minister in Parliament

Caroline Nokes told a roomful of Windrush immigrants that she was sorry for the ‘appalling scandal’.

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Labour MPs David Lammy, centre, and Dawn Butler, left, with members of the Windrush generation during a photocall in Westminster, London (Yui Mok/PA)

Victims of the Windrush injustice received a personal apology from an immigration minister this afternoon as they visited Parliament for the first time since the scandal forced the home secretary to resign.

Speaking at a cross-party meeting, Caroline Nokes acknowledged that the treatment of people with West Indian heritage was an “appalling scandal”.

A former worker in Parliament’s canteen and a man who was denied cancer treatment were among those who were in attendance to hear the apology.

“I don’t expect people to give me an easy ride.

“To everybody that has been affected by this appalling scandal, I am sorry.

“It is important to me to be here this afternoon.

Paulette Wilson, 62, who arrived from Jamaica in 1968, and Anthony Bryan, 60, who arrived from Jamaica in 1965, during a photocall in Westminster (Yui Mok/PA)
Paulette Wilson, 62, who arrived from Jamaica in 1968, and Anthony Bryan, 60, who arrived from Jamaica in 1965, during a photocall in Westminster (Yui Mok/PA)

“I will try and be here this afternoon for as long as I can to listen what people have to say but I just wish to put absolutely and formally on record how sorry I am  that this has happened on my watch.”

Paulette Wilson, who was affected by the Windrush scandal, used to work in Parliament and returned for the first time in 30 years to receive Nokes’ apology for what she endured.

Ms Wilson said: “I want to thank everybody in this room for being on our side.

“Thank you everybody for being human and for not being racist. Thank you all very much.”

Sylvester Marshall, a Windrush immigrant who was denied NHS cancer treatment because of the Home Office’s “hostile environment”, revealed at the event that he had received his first session of radiotherapy this morning.

Speaking at the event Mr Marshall, who used the name Albert Thompson throughout the Guardian’s reporting on Windrush to protect himself from deportation, said: “I have been trying a long time to obtain my paperwork and each time I tried they kept saying I was illegal.

“I keep telling them I am not, I am British. They didn’t believe me.

“This paperwork caused me  a lot of grief and stress.

“At least it is all over now.”

Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, said: “This has been a moment of truth because the Windrush generation were one of the most patriotic groups of British citizens that you could find.

“These were people who loved the Royal family, they were proud to be British.

“Our job is to hold the Government to account. You cannot treat people like this.”

Jeremy Corbyn, who was also in attendance, called for amendments to the 2014 Immigration Act which encouraged the “hostile environment” that threatened the legal status of many Windrush immigrants.

He said: “For the first time in many years the debate about immigration in our society has changed.

“Stop treating people like they are second class citizens because they weren’t born here and they came to make their contribution here.

“Recognise a strong community is one that respects each other.

“I think this is a very important turning point in our national story.”

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