Windrush Generation

The "Windrush generation" refers to Caribbean migrants who came to the UK between 1948 and 1971 as a result of the British Nationality Act giving members of British colonies the right to live and work in Britain. The name "Windrush" comes from the HMT Empire Windrush, which was the first of the ships carrying these migrants to dock in the UK.

The Windrush generation had a significant social and cultural impact on British society, filling the post-war labour shortage and enriching the UK with Caribbean culture, music and art.

The 1971 Immigration Act should have allowed the Windrush generation permanent residency in the UK but in 2018 it was revealed that the UK Government had destroyed landing cards belonging to Windrush migrants, leaving many unable to prove they were in the country legally and thus at risk of deportation. This has come to be known as "The Windrush Scandal".

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