Grassroots initiatives by a coalition of individuals and organizations in the UK backed by Labour Party MPs are proving to be a vital source of support for both the members of the Windrush generation and other Jamaicans targeted for summary deportation by the British authorities.
It was largely through these efforts that 21 Jamaicans were rescued in a last minute reprieve from the notorious charter flight that brought 29 deportees to Kingston recently. Owen Haisley from Manchester who had been in the UK for 41 years had his deportation halted not by last minute diplomatic intervention but largely through lobbying by his MP, Lucy Powell while in the case of Twane Morgan, the petition signed by 91,000 persons and the public outcry raised by campaigners were no doubt critical factors in him being granted a reprieve on compassionate grounds.
The Windrush Justice Fund: Matching support comes from London’s Mayor
The latest show of support for the victims of the UK’s immigration policy has come from the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan who last week announced plans to provide #20,000 pounds to help members of the Windrush generation gain access to support services. Last year, the government admitted that at least 63 members of the Windrush generation could have been wrongly deported from the country after being asked to prove their legal status to remain in the UK. Mayor Khan has given an undertaking that City Hall will match funding raised by the Windrush Justice Fund – a grassroots initiative created to provide legal advice, immigration support and outreach services to the Windrush generation. The Fund was launched by Patrick Vernon to offer a range of services including support for those applying to the Windrush Compensation Scheme. It will offer small grants of £200 pounds to £2,000 pounds to grassroots and community organizations.
The Windrush Justice Fund has already secured £18,680 from online donations made by members of the public. In addition to practical assistance, the appeal aims to highlight the plight of undocumented people from Windrush Generation and others forced to prove their legal right to remain in the UK.
Patrick said: ‘It is great news that the Mayor of London is providing match-funding meaning we can help more individuals to apply to the Home Office Windrush Scheme and the forthcoming Compensation Scheme. The Home Office has resumed deportation flights so there is an even more urgent need for advice and support to members of the Windrush generation and their descendants and those hoping to affirm their status as British citizens. I would like to thank the public and several key individuals for their donations to the Windrush Justice Fund. I would also like to thank the team at GoFundMe and sponsors WeAreAllWindrush ( https://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/fundraiser-t-shirts-launched-support-windrush-generation) who provided t-shirts, Focus Games for the Windrush board game( http://windrushgame.co.uk/) and Jacaranda Books who published Stephen Bourne’s book ‘War to Windrush’.”
https://jacaranda-boooks.myshopify.com/products/war-to-windrush
The government of Jamaica could give practical meaning to ‘Diaspora Engagement’ and show that it really does care and value its members by also matching the Windrush Justice Fund. In addition to practical assistance, the Fund’s appeal aims to highlight the plight of undocumented Londoners and others forced to prove their legal status to remain in the UK.
The British government has tried to convince the country and the world that its action in illegally deporting Jamaicans in 2018 is totally separate and unconnected to the current round of deportations, by branding all the new deportees as ‘serious foreign criminals’ in the words of the Minister for Immigration Caroline Nokes. The question to be posed to Ms Nokes is:
“Are the 21 persons who were removed from the original list to be deported all ‘serious foreign criminals’ and if not, does this not mean the authorities are repeating the same mistakes they made in the case of the Windrush victims?”
While it is technically true that no member of the Windrush generation was included in the most recent deportation flight, the fact is that like the earlier Windrush episode, these deportations are symptoms of what campaigners have described as ‘Britain’s hostile immigration policy environment’. The lingering effects and memories of the Windrush scandal are not going away anytime soon. In the words of London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan:
“ The Windrush scandal had become a stain on our nation’s conscience.”
And it is no wonder that campaigners like attorney at law, Jacqueline McKenzie have been led to express shock that the British government, not having received the conclusions of the Windrush ‘Lessons Learnt’ Review, should resume these mass deportation flights which were stayed in light of the Windrush scandals.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE HIGH COMMISSION ON FEBRUARY 4?
The official version
There are always two sides to every story and the truth is often found in bits and pieces from both sides. Our upload of February 5 for the most part, presented the sequence of events from the perspective of the protesters. Since then both the Jamaican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Jamaican High Commission in London have been quick to present a different version of the events that transpired.
Click Here to read statement from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and foreign Trade
We are also fortunate to have the benefit of Sylbourne Sydial’s video interview with High Commissioner George Ramocan in which the High Commissioner backs up the Ministry’s statement except for one very important detail. The Ministry’s release clearly states that persons were allowed to enter the High Commission building to present a letter to H/C Ramocan. However, in the Sydial interview the High Commissioner was at pains to explain that the protesters were allowed to enter the building as a generous act on his part to allow them to use the toilet facilities. Nowhere in the interview does he mention the letter which the demonstrators wished to present. Was that letter presented and if so to whom?
A demonstrator’s version
Barbara Lindsay was present at the demonstration this is her account:
“The demo outside the Jamaican High Commission was a peaceful one. Very disappointed with the way in which the Jamaican High Commission handled the situation by not coming offering a statement or accepting the signed petition. The police told us they were there because the High Commission ‘pressed the panic button’ which was surprising to us as it was a peaceful demonstration and we did not hear anything about anyone going in and causing alarm. Do they not have security guards on the premises? Having watched the video of the interview with the High Commissioner, and spoken to the police at the time, my views have not changed.”
See Also: New Jamaican Windrush Deportations
