Outreach team will attend latest Windrush compensation meeting

Organised by the Windrush Movement (UK) and the Windrush National Organisation the meeting will be at The Village Fellowship, at 57 Wednesbury Road, in Walsall, on Tuesday(29).

The scheme was set up in the wake of the government scandal resulting from the destruction of arrival records for immigrants landing between the late 1940s to the early 1970s which then affected proof of citizenship for those people and their descendants.

Some were put in custody and deported, many lost their jobs, others found they were unable to access health care or return following trips abroad.

The Home Office Windrush Outreach team will be in attendance as part of efforts to address arising issues. The purpose of the meeting will be to explain about documents needed, the compensation scheme and address issues of eligibility.

Windrush National Organisation chairman Bishop Dr Desmond Jaddoo is calling on families needing assistance for advice groups to attend.

“Our last meeting in Birmingham demonstrated that there is still a way to go in terms of righting the injustice that many of the Windrush Generation and descendants have been subjected to and this is an opportunity for the public to hear from the Home Office Windrush team directly and also to speak to them directly.

"On this journey we are discovering additional issues such as young people born in the UK having difficulties in obtain their British passport despite being born here.

"We are urging people to come forward as we must not have a repeat of this scandal which has ultimately cost long suffering and some people have now sadly passed away,” Mr Jaddoo said.

Information to aid those born in the UK after 1983 and are having issues obtaining a passport will be provided at the free public meeting from 6.30pm-8.30pm. One-to-one interviews with the outreach team will also be available.

More details are on the website windrushnationalorganisation.com or telephone 07947 355974.