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The Government has been called on to immediately pay compensation to all victims of the Windrush generation at a rally to mark the sixth anniversary of the scandal.
The public event, held in Windrush Square in Brixton, south London, featured immigration lawyer Jacqueline McKenzie, Bishop Desmond Jadoo, activist Glenda Caesar, activist Patrick Vernon and Black Cultural Archive chair Lisa Several speakers spoke, including Mr. Anderson and church leaders.
Candles were lit, colloquial poetry and prayers were said as part of a vigil to remember the Windrush pioneers and those who have died since the scandal broke.
Jacqueline McKenzie, who has worked with more than 400 windrush victims, said successful Windrush Compensation Scheme applications show progress, but there is still much work to be done by the Home Office and the lengthy application process He said the system remains complex and the system is lagging. And many candidates die without getting a solution.
“We're seeing some good results, but there are still some issues that remain, including significant delays and deaths because it's an older population,” she said. independent person.
Leigh Day, Partner and Head of Immigration and Asylum Law at the firm, said lawyers are battling a perfect storm of misinformation around eligibility, and the Home Office is trying to find out more about their rights on everything affected. In some cases, they have not been able to work effectively with local communities, he said.
“I also think the problem in this area is that so many people don’t really understand the compensation system, which is why there are so many videos going around on platforms like Tiktok that tell people who can apply. You are incorrectly providing information to people who cannot apply.'' Submit an application that disrupts the system when you are not eligible for an award.
“And the Home Office initially believed from census data and statistical modeling that 50,000 people in the Caribbean could have been affected by the Windrush incident. There are only 7,000 to 8,000 people, so why isn’t the Home Office doing more to help?”
This compensation scheme has been in place since April 2019 with the aim of righting the wrongs of the scandal. The scandal broke a year ago, when many British nationals, mainly from the Caribbean, were denied access to healthcare and benefits and faced the threat of deportation despite being in the country illegally. The right to live in the UK.
Despite growing concerns about the number of people dying before receiving their benefits, the Home Office has so far said changes to the way the scheme operates will disrupt the processing of claims and delay payments. It has resisted calls for such reforms, warning that it could lead to
said community activist Ross Griffiths, chairman of Friends of Windrush Square, which co-organized Saturday's event. independent person“We cannot give up on the Windrush generation in their pursuit of justice and dismantling oppressive systems because they paved the way for us.”
The rally was organized by a range of community groups including the Windrush national organization, Friends of Windrush Square.
Former Metropolitan Police Department Superintendent Leroy Logan also attended and said: independent person“We need to be here to honor those who have died and to ensure that the Windrush scandal does not happen again for future generations.”
Mr Logan also praised the church's role in today's vigil, adding: They have a role not only in political lobbying, but also in giving people the emotional support they need.
“I'm really happy to see an increase in the number of clergy attending this vigil. I've been to vigils before, but there weren't enough people. So, it's better to be late than never. ”
Bishop Desmond Jadu, founder of the Windrush National Organization (WNO), hosted the afternoon proceedings.
In a speech after the event, he said: independent person: “Today is an opportunity to make our voices heard and the beginning of a journey towards change. All we have to do is use today to ensure that our children no longer face these problems.” It's not just about making sure we're doing well, it's about making sure we develop the leaders of tomorrow.”
Campaigner Patrick Vernon said: “The government is always using the rhetoric of 'righting the wrongs' of scandals, but in reality they are not listening to the concerns of survivors, campaigners and lawyers.
“This is supported by the fact that they have reneged on their promise to implement the recommendations from the Windrush Lessons Learned Review.
“Hopefully, when the general election is announced and politicians are canvassing for votes, people will ask potential candidates to give automatic citizenship to victims of scandals, review the system and remove them from the Home Office. We will ask you if you commit to some of our key requests.
Anthony Brown, who founded the advocacy group Windrush Defenders after resisting an attempt by the Home Office to deport him illegally, traveled from Manchester to attend the Brixton event.
“I came here because this is an issue of national importance,” he told The Independent. “It's not just people here in London who are affected by the scandal; it's people all over the country.
“Our voices are there. In the words of Frederick Douglass, 'Power yields nothing without a demand.' Therefore, we need to mobilize and demand what we want as opposed to what the government says it can provide. ”
The incident comes after the government's compensation scheme for Windrush victims was branded a failure by campaigners calling for ministers to overhaul the payment process five years after it was launched.
Critics of the system have repeatedly called for the Home Office to be stripped of responsibility for determining and processing payments to victims, saying it should instead be handed over to an independent body.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has been contacted for comment.
