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Campaigners call for Windrush scheme to be extended

WINDRUSH: Campaigners are still fighting for justice

WINDRUSH GENERATION advocates are launching a campaign to urge the government to extend the government scheme created to remedy the immigration crisis to descendants of those eligible.

The government has pledged to resolve the immigration issues experienced by members of the Windrush Generation who arrived in the UK before 1973 with the help of a specially designated Windrush Taskforce. However, these provisions do not extend to those who came to the UK as adults after 1973.

Antonia Bright, chair of Movement for Justice, said: “The Windrush Generation from around the Commonwealth, who travelled to the UK in the 40s, 50s and 60s, were also made a promise, one of safety, equality, security for themselves and their families as equal citizens. Within 14 short years the British government began to break that promise. Now it’s time for the British government to make good on their debt to the Windrush Generation, their descendants and their families.”

Yvonne Smith and Yvonne Williams were both detained in Yarl’s Wood for nine months and have been fighting to stay in the UK where they have extensive family links for almost 20 years.

Smith and Williams, who are both grandmothers and originally from Jamaica, are not eligible to have their cases reviewed under the government’s Windrush Taskforce as they arrived in the UK as adults after 1973.

Movement for Justice, the organisation behind the campaign, is calling on home secretary Sajid Javid to amend the Windrush scheme to take into account cases like Smith and Williams’.

Janet Daby, the MP for Lewisham East and David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham, are supporting the campaign.

Daby is a child of Windrush Generation parents and Lammy has been a prominent and ardent voice for those affected by the immigration scandal.

Movement for Justice will officially launch the campaign at an event in parliament on Tuesday July 11.

Lammy and Daby will both speak at the event in Portcullis House, as will Smith and Williams.

The home secretary has been invited to attend.

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