Latest news with #WindrushScandal
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Rollout of eVisas ‘could drag 200,000 people into Windrush-style scandal'
Up to 200,000 people who have lived in the UK legally for decades are at risk of being caught up in a Windrush-style scandal because the Home Office does not know their whereabouts or have their details on government computer systems. There are fears that some in this group will face a serious risk of being left undocumented as the Home Office converts immigration records from paper to digital. The news has emerged at a time when the Home Office says it is taking back control of its immigration system. Many of those affected are older people and some are not digitally literate. Many came from countries across Africa and Asia in the 1970s and 80s and were granted indefinite leave to remain by the Home Office with an ink stamp or vignette (sticker) in their passports, or a piece of paper confirming their status. This physical proof of right to remain is known as a legacy document. However, the Home Office is now encouraging everyone eligible to create an online eVisa account to replace their legacy document. Officials say the system is working well for millions of people, but many users have reported technical problems including with linking their passport to their eVisa. But the organisation the3million, which campaigns for the rights of EU citizens in the UK and has monitored the government's eVisa rollout closely, believes the Home Office is unable to track this large group of people down so cannot urge them to obtain eVisas. It is possible some may have died or left the UK. They did not feature on the Home Office's previous immigration database – CID (Case Information Database) – nor on Atlas, CID's replacement. The best estimate of the number involved is 200,000, which comes from a Home Office internal assessment (pdf) in April 2022. The Guardian repeatedly asked the Home Office if it has records relating to those 200,000 people and if it knows how many are still alive and residing in the UK, but received no response. Naga Kandiah of MTC Solicitors has been working with some older people with legacy documents who are only now realising they need to go online and obtain eVisas. 'Individuals who were previously granted indefinite leave to remain or other long-term statuses via ink-stamped endorsements are increasingly being left behind,' he said. 'Despite holding lawful status, many are now at serious risk of being treated as undocumented, simply because their physical documents are not recognised or integrated into the Home Office's new digital eVisa platform. 'This vulnerable group often includes elderly, marginalised or digitally excluded individuals, many of whom have lived in the UK for 30 to 40 years or more. 'Without access to digital records or UK Visas and Immigration accounts, these individuals are effectively invisible within the current system, despite their lawful and settled status. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion 'As a result, many are being denied access to essential services and entitlements, including pensions, universal credit, NHS treatment and housing, simply because they cannot prove their status under the digital framework.' Even when older people with ink stamps or vignettes in their passports do try to engage with eVisas, many are reporting problems with the system. The Guardian reported on the case of Kathleen Harper last year, an American actor with an ink stamp in her passport granting her indefinite leave to remain. She struggled to access her eVisa and abandoned her attempt. But recently she was asked to provide proof of her identity and tried again to obtain an eVisa. Despite the Home Office putting experienced technical advisers on the case, they still hit walls, repeatedly getting a message on screen saying: 'Cannot start yet.' Harper said: 'It has taken at least eight phone calls and several hours of my time to get my passport connected to my eVisa. Is this a sane way of going about things?' Home Office sources said they had apologised to Harper for the confusion concerning her case and that her eVisa issue had now been resolved. Monique Hawkins of the3million said: 'We believe the transition to eVisas could cause potential problems for people with legacy documents – there's an urgent need for an independent review of the entire eVisa system and its rushed rollout.'
The Guardian
16-06-2025
- The Guardian
Windrush scandal victims got less compensation due to lack of legal advice funding, review finds
Survivors of the Home Office Windrush scandal have received significantly less compensation than they may be entitled to, due to the lack of government funding for legal advice during the application process, a study has found. A review of 17 applications to the compensation fund revealed that claimants who challenged their awards after taking legal advice received huge increases in the amount offered. One woman's payout rose from £300 to £170,000 after a lawyer assisted her, and a man who was initially refused any compensation received a £295,000 settlement after legal support from a charity. Other people's awards rose from zero to £95,000 or increased from £10,000 to £150,000, with legal help. The scheme denied compensation to two-thirds of applicants, according to the study, co-written by the law reform charity Justice, the University of Sussex and the law firm Dechert, which calls for funded legal assistance for claimants. While the Post Office and infected blood compensation schemes both offer applicants legal advice, the Windrush scheme is an exception among state compensation programmes in not providing this support. One claimant who was born in the late 1950s in the Caribbean and came to the UK as a child, given the pseudonym Jerome in the report – called People Need Legal Help – lost his passport in the 1970s and did not replace it because he had no plans to go abroad. He worked in the building and steel industries until the early 2000s, when he switched jobs but found himself unable to re-enter the workforce because he could not prove his right to live and work in the UK. He was unable to find work for 17 years, before finally being granted British citizenship in 2019 after the Home Office was forced to admit that it had wrongly classified thousands of Windrush-era residents as immigration offenders. He applied for compensation by himself that year, but his application was rejected because he struggled to provide documentary evidence proving that his job applications had been turned down as a result of his inability to demonstrate lawful immigration status in the UK. When a pro bono lawyer assisted him to challenge the refusal, helping him gather the required letters from former employers and job rejections, he was awarded £225,000 for denial of access to employment between 2002 and 2019 and £70,000 in recognition of the impact this had on his life. Emunah Baht Gavriel arrived in the UK in 1979 from Trinidad and worked for decades as an NHS nurse in hospitals in London, Leicester, Bristol and Peterborough. Her passport containing the stamp stating she had indefinite leave to remain in the UK was stolen in 2000; when she submitted her new passport to the Home Office in 2007 to get a new stamp, the department lost it. This left her unable to prove her immigration status, and she had to leave her job. She experienced significant financial hardship, falling into rent arrears, and at times was forced to scavenge for food. She was unable to travel abroad to visit her terminally ill mother or attend her funeral. Her daughter, who was born in the UK, was also threatened with deportation because of her mother's uncertain status. An initial offer of £20,000 compensation was challenged by pro bono lawyers from United Legal Access, and the payout was subsequently significantly increased. 'I was incandescent at the original award. I needed legal help to get through the technical processes,' she said. Her lawyer, Sibon Phiri Twaibu, said there was a 'culture of disbelief' within the Home Office, where officials seemed inclined to attribute claimants' challenges to reasons other than their unresolved immigration status. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Marcel Carry, a graphic designer born in the US who came to the UK as a young child, and who lost work for more than five years because he was unable to prove his immigration status, also received an increased award after pro bono legal assistance from the Southwark Law Centre in London. 'It doesn't make sense that legal aid is not available. The process causes so much trauma. They keep asking you for more and more evidence, which most people can't provide,' he said. A Home Office spokesperson said there had been a reset of its approach to assisting those affected by the issues. 'This government is determined to ensure that victims of the Home Office Windrush scandal are heard, that justice is sped up, and that the compensation scheme is run effectively. Earlier this year, we launched a £1.5m advocacy support fund to provide dedicated help from trusted community organisations when victims are applying for compensation. 'However, we recognise there is more to be done, which is why ministers are continuing to engage with community groups on improvements to the compensation scheme, and will ask the new Windrush commissioner to recommend any further changes they believe are required.'
The Independent
13-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Windrush commissioner ‘must hold Government to account'
An 'outstanding candidate' is being sought to take on a role which campaigners said must see the Government held to account over its engagement with the Windrush community. The post of Windrush commissioner has been advertised as a three-day week role with an annual salary of £130,000 and for a three-year term. Last October Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed that, as per Labour's manifesto, a commissioner would be appointed as she committed to a 'fundamental reset of the response to this scandal'. (The commissioner must) have the power and resources to engage with Windrush victims and community advocacy organisations, hold the Government to account and drive positive change Jeremy Crook, Action for Race Equality The Windrush scandal – which campaigners have since said should be known as the Home Office scandal – erupted in 2018 when British citizens were wrongly detained, deported or threatened with deportation despite having the right to live in Britain. Many lost homes and jobs and were denied access to healthcare and benefits. The job description published on Thursday, and open for applicants until March 20, states that the commissioner will work with the Home Office 'to deliver long-awaited justice for the Windrush and Commonwealth communities, and to drive real and sustained cultural change across the department'. But it adds that the chosen person will be independent of the Home Office, 'serving as an independent advocate and trusted voice for victims, families and impacted communities'. I am looking for an outstanding candidate to take on the post of Windrush commissioner, someone with... the ability to engage with a diverse range of individuals, including victims, their families Sir Matthew Rycroft Home Office permanent secretary Sir Matthew Rycroft, in a foreword to the appointment, said: 'I am looking for an outstanding candidate to take on the post of Windrush commissioner, someone with a proven track record of strategic leadership, a clear vision for driving impactful change, and the ability to engage with a diverse range of individuals, including victims, their families, representatives, and stakeholders from across a range of backgrounds and viewpoints.' Jeremy Crook, chief executive of Action for Race Equality, said the commissioner must have 'the power and resources to engage with Windrush victims and community advocacy organisations, hold the Government to account and drive positive change'. The Black Equity Organisation (BEO), said: 'We are encouraged to hear that one of the Windrush Commissioner's responsibilities is to 'act as a trusted voice for victims and Windrush communities and relevant organisations affected by the Home Office Windrush Scandal'. 'We look forward to knowing who has been appointed to fill this important role and await details of the independent Advisory Assessment Panel members who are to be recruited as part of the selection panel.' Migration and citizenship minister Seema Malhotra said the appointment 'will mark a vital step in resetting the Government's response to the Home Office Windrush scandal and delivering the change that the victims of this scandal want and deserve to see'. She added: 'This independent advocate will ensure the voices of victims and communities are heard and acted on throughout government. 'By engaging with communities, driving improvements, and holding government to account, the commissioner will help ensure that lasting change is delivered and the lessons of the past are truly learned. 'The Home Secretary and I look forward to working side by side with the successful candidate in this crucial work to ensure that such an injustice can never happen again, and that dignity is restored to those who have suffered.'
