New home secretary gives pledge to Windrush generation
Former home secretary Amber Rudd has recently been replaced by Sajid Javid following the immigration scandal that has rocked parliament. Javid has since pledged his commitment to “do right” by those of the Windrush generation – immigrants who have been affected by the recent issues in proving their legal status as UK citizens.
The new home secretary issued a statement on Monday April 30 where he spoke of the unneeded problems faced by Windrush generation immigrants and how he would solve them. He stated that it “should never have been the case” that so many immigrants have had their lives affected by the scandal. Javid went on to say that it was a “matter of urgency” that these people’s rights and the rights of their children are guaranteed.
However Downing Street have made no plans to diverge from their current policies concerning immigration. It is likely that Javid will work on a radical overhaul of procedures within the immigration department. He plans to make sure the department “behaves more humanely, in a more fair sense.” This could have far-reaching consequences for those seeking to live in the United Kingdom.
The problem began with the creation of the Hostile Environment Policy in 2012 by then home secretary Theresa May. The purpose of the policy was to make staying in the UK as difficult as possible for illegal immigrants. This has led to a number of African-Caribbean residents being threatened with deportation if they could not provide proof of their right to remain in the UK.
The relevant documentation needed for those who came to the UK pre-1973 has been destroyed. In the wake of the scandal, Amber Rudd announced those affected would receive compensation. However, leaked memos revealed contradictions in her statements over targets for the removal of immigrants. As a result, she has resigned.
The recent announcements by the new home secretary will provide relief to many people who are part of the Windrush generation. In his address, he stated, “it’s about action, and that’s exactly what you’ll be seeing from my department.” Sajid Javid will clearly be focusing on creating policies to prevent a scandal like this from happening again.
