Duncan Bain fears the hostile environment for the Windrush generation has wider repercussions
- The government’s ‘hostile environment’ policy has affected commonwealth migrants of the Windrush generation.
- The complexities that may be involved in proving any immigration status may apply to a much wider group.
The 1948 journey of the HMT Empire Windrush between Jamaica and London was just one voyage among many (and not the first) that brought passengers into the UK from different corners of the globe. Many had already been in the UK during the war working in munitions factories or serving in the forces. The passengers were free to live in the UK as they were British Subjects, coming either from a colony of the British Empire or from an independent Commonwealth nation. The Prime Minister, Clement Atlee, publicly welcomed the Windrush’s arrival. However, his cabinet expressed fears of uncontrolled ‘coloured migration’ (as they termed it) and throughout the 1950s, the government discussed administrative means of deterring or limiting the numbers of black and Asian British subjects moving
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