Windrush communities in Britain will be given an independent voice within government to ensure the lessons of the Home Office Windrush scandal are driven forward, the UK Home Office said as it opened applications this week to recruit a new Windrush Commissioner.
British Indian Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, said: “The appointment of a Windrush Commissioner will mark a vital step in resetting the government's response to the Home Office Windrush scandal and delivering the change that the victims of this scandal want and deserve to see.
“This independent advocate will ensure the voices of victims and communities are heard and acted on throughout government. By engaging with communities, driving improvements, and holding government to account, the Commissioner will help ensure that lasting change is delivered and the lessons of the past are truly learned.
“The Home Secretary [Yvette Cooper] and I look forward to working side by side with the successful candidate in this crucial work to ensure that such an injustice can never happen again, and that dignity is restored to those who have suffered.”
As part of a reset under the Labour government, the Home Office said it is committed to working more closely with communities affected by previous scandals as part of the Plan for Change. While a large proportion of those impacted by the Windrush scandal were of Caribbean heritage, a number of Indian and other immigrants from South Asia from the mid-twentieth century were also impacted by their citizenship rights being wrongfully denied. The Labour Party said it wants to fulfil its manifesto promise by appointing the first-ever Windrush Commissioner by the summer, following a rigorous recruitment process to select a candidate capable of driving forward change and holding government to account on its Windrush commitments.
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Jeremy Crook OBE, Chief Executive of Action for Race Equality, stated: “We want the Windrush Commissioner to have the power and resources to engage with Windrush victims and community advocacy organisations, hold the government to account and drive positive change.
“Action for Race Equality looks forward to working with the new Windrush Commissioner.”
The Commissioner will be an independent advocate for all those affected by the scandal, which saw thousands suffer through no fault of their own because of their inability to prove their right to live in the UK, and will engage with victims, communities and stakeholder organisations, as well as providing advice direct to ministers.
The successful candidate will advise on the Home Office’s delivery of the compensation and status schemes and the implementation of the department’s response to the ‘Windrush Lessons Learned’ Review, as well as acting as a trusted voice for families and communities, driving improvements and promoting lasting change.
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Upon appointment, the Commissioner will work alongside the Windrush Unit, which was re-established by Cooper, to oversee the department’s response to the scandal and embed permanent cultural change. This comes after she set out, in October 2024, the first steps the government is taking to “fundamentally reset” how the government plans to right the wrongs of the Home Office Windrush scandal. As well as re-establishing the Windrush Unit, the Home Secretary pledged to better support victims to apply for compensation with £1.5 million in grant funding to increase advocacy support.
The Home Office said: “This government is determined to hear first-hand from the Windrush generation, their families and wider Commonwealth communities to ensure that their experiences are listened to and learned from.”
*Info: Windrush Commissioner