Origins of the Windrush Scandal: Report Released
September 2024
Our Story
Following the September 2024 release of the previously suppressed Origins of the Windrush Scandal Report by an unnamed author, which raised further concerns over the Home Office function being fit for purpose, it didn’t take long for the backlash to surface.
It was in early October 2024 when 25 Black, Asian and minority ethnic MPs wrote to the Home Secretary informing her of their strong feelings about they describe as the framing of Britain’s immigration legislation and I quote saying it “cannot be uncoupled from racism and the exclusion of people of colour”.
The letter includes signatures of Diane Abbott, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Marsha de Cordova and states that the government needs to address the “deep-seated institutional and cultural failures” of the Home Office which ultimately led to officials burying the department’s own research paper entitled The Historical Roots of the Windrush Scandal.
The report unequivocally highlighted that between 1950 – 1981 there had been three decades of British immigration legislation “designed at least in part to reduce the number of people with black or brown skin who were permitted to live and work in the UK”.
We would like thank everyone who has worked with and continue to fight for justice for the Black British population. Jacqueline McKenzie and her team have been integral to this work. Jacqueline was a member of the independent advisory group that delivered the Windrush Lessons Learned Review in March 2020 which resulted in an official apology from the UK’s Home Secretary.
Suppressed Report that led to the Windrush Scandal: Released
WINDRUSH: The Journey, The Mission
Honouring Our Legacy, Shaping Our Future
Windrush 100 is an opportunity to honour our history, celebrate our contributions and shape a future rooted in truth, justice, recognition and equality.
As we look towards the centenary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush in 1948, our vision is to build a meaningful, inclusive and lasting legacy for generations to come. This means recognising the extraordinary contributions of the Windrush pioneers, their descendants and the generations of Black British citizens’ social, cultural, economic and civic lives, and their contributions to all levels of British society, while navigating and at times confronting the injustices, discrimination and inequalities that remain a daily occurrence.
We acknowledge and celebrate the tremendous work already undertaken by allies, community organisations, volunteers, campaigners, historians, educators and individuals across the UK, and the Caribbean and African communities. Their dedication, often carried out with limited resources and sustained through personal commitment and considerable hardship, has helped preserve our heritage, advance justice, educate communities and ensure that these important stories are not forgotten.
We believe the planning for Windrush 100 should include building on the collective work, strengthening partnerships and turning shared experiences and aspirations into practical tangible and sustainable action.
Through education, cultural celebrations, intergenerational dialogue, community engagement, historical preservation and advocacy for reparatory justice, the aim is to create opportunities for people to learn, participate and contribute to a mutually beneficial outcome for those impacted.
Windrush 100 must be more than a commemorative milestone. It should be a collaborative movement that connects communities, recognises those who paved the way, empowers future generations and helps create a fairer, more informed and inclusive society.
Together, we honour the past, acknowledge the work happening today and build a legacy for generations, worthy of celebration for the next 100 years.
