Windrush Generation: Prime Minister May meets Caribbean leaders

Prime Minster Theresa May met representatives from twelve Caribbean Commonwealth States on 17 April. Those attending included senior representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago.

During the meeting, Prime Minister May apologised for any anxiety caused, and explained how much the UK valued the contribution made by members of the Windrush Generation. She said, “Those who arrived from the Caribbean before 1973 and lived here permanently without significant periods of time away in the last 30 years have the right to remain in the UK, as do the vast majority of long-term residents who arrived later. I don’t want anybody to be in any doubt about their right to remain here in the United Kingdom”. The Prime Minister went on to say that she wanted to “dispel any impression that my government is in some sense clamping down on Commonwealth citizens, particularly those from the Caribbean who have built a life here”.

The UK Government is committed to supporting Commonwealth citizens who have a right to live in the UK. A new dedicated team will be set up within the Home Office for people who need support gathering evidence of their right to be in the UK. It will contain a dedicated contact point, and will aim to resolve cases within two weeks, once all the evidence has been put together. No one affected will be charged for the documentation which proves their right.

A dedicated phone line (0300 123 2241) has also been created and the Home Office has published a fact sheet on their web site, which outlines the rights of Commonwealth citizens. https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2018/04/12/factsheet-on-the-rights-of-commonwealth-citizens/