Home Secretary's apology over Windrush scandal does not go far enough, Black Country MP claims
Home Secretary Sajid Javid has apologised to 18 members of the Windrush generation who may have been wrongfully removed from the UK or held in immigration detention – but a Black Country MP says he has not gone far enough.
Wolverhampton North East MP Emma Reynolds, who has supported her constituent Paulette Wilson, said she believed there were more people who were impacted by the scandal.
Mr Javid's apology followed a review into nearly 12,000 historical records which suggested 18 people suffered 'detriment' because their right to be in the country was not recognised.
They related to people whose records indicate that they came to the UK from the Caribbean prior to 1973 and stayed permanently.
But they were unable to demonstrate 'continuous residence', resulting in them being removed or detained in an immigration removal facility or a reporting centre.
Eleven people voluntarily departed, with some having been served with immigration enforcement notices informing them they had no right to be in the UK. None of the 11 were held in detention.
In a further seven cases, people were detained and subsequently released without being removed.
The review also identified 74 individuals who it would appear were either detained or removed because they had lost their entitlement to indefinite leave to remain after leaving the UK for more than two years.
A further 72 people were detained temporarily at the border but allowed to enter.
All of those flagged up by the review will be put in contact with a specialist taskforce set up in response to the crisis and signposted to a compensation scheme.
Mr Javid said: "The experiences faced by some members of the Windrush generation are completely unacceptable and I am committed to righting the wrongs of the past.
"I would like to personally apologise to those identified in our review and am committed to providing them with the support and compensation they deserve."
Among those to be caught up in the scandal was Paulette Wilson from Wolverhampton, who was almost deported to Jamaica despite living in the city for more than 50 years.
She was threatened with deportation and locked up in an immigration centre for a week in October, before finally, in January, being told she could stay in England.
Ms Reynolds campaigned on her behalf and ensured she received a personal apology from Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes in May.
She said: "I welcome the apology [from Mr Javid] but I don't think it goes far enough.
"I don't think he should be restricting the apology to 18 individuals. I think there were more people impacted."
