Windrush Day will become a permanent part of Peterborough’s civic calendar after special council motion

Mayor of Peterborough Steve Lane and Mayoress Margaret Lane with council and community representatives at the Windrush Day flag raising ceremony outside the Town Hall in June this year.

Peterborough City Council is to continue to mark Windrush Day – June 22 – as a civic ceremony, and will call upon the government to speed up the process of financial compensation for the Windrush Generation, many of whom settled in the city.

Members of the Full Council heard the proposal in a motion from Cllr Amjad Iqbal, presented by Cllr Shabina Qayyum at their meeting (December 8).

Cllr Qayyum, the daughter of an immigrant herself, said: “The term Windrush generation refers to those invited to relocate from their homes in commonwealth countries to settle in Britain between 1948 to 1971.

“The first significant number arrived at Tilbury docks aboard HM Empire Windrush on 22 June 1948, from the Caribbean, however, migration was from Africa and Asia as well as the Caribbean.

“The 1948 British Nationality Act established the status of UK citizens and its colonies - anybody who could prove they were born within the British Empire had the right to settle and work in Britain. Indefinite leave to remain was granted in 1971.

“At the time, it was not unusual for children not to have their own documents travelling on their parents’ passports.

“It has subsequently come to light that the Home Office has not kept detailed records of arrivals.

“Since 2012, it has been the specific aim of government immigration policy to create a “hostile environment” for those without lawful right to live in the UK.

“This policy has created an issue for the ‘Windrush generation’ unable to evidence or demonstrate their lawful status when facing immigration checks to continue working, access services or even to remain in the UK. It has led to access to benefits, healthcare, social housing and caused others to lose their job.”

Noting the enormous contribution of members of the Windrush Generation to British society following the Second World War, and the many thousands of members of the Windrush Generation who made their homes in this country to build a better life and contribute to our society were granted indefinite leave to remain in 1971, as well as the scandalous treatment of so many members of the Windrush Generation by the UK Government in recent years, including denial of their British citizenship and legal rights, wrongful detention, threats of deportation and in some cases deportation itself and the ongoing implications of this treatment for many people and their families, the city council resolved the following:

To continue to mark Windrush Day on 22nd June in the City of Peterborough annually as a civic celebration to recognise and honour the enormous contribution of those who arrived between 1948 and 1973.

Also, to call upon the Government to fully and financially support advice agencies in their work to achieve support, advocacy and justice for all Peterborough residents affected by the Windrush Scandal.

And, to demand that the government fully support advice agencies in their work to achieve justice for all those affected, in Peterborough and elsewhere.

Also, to thank third sector organisations within the city for their support and advocacy for victims of the Windrush Scandal.

Also, to call on central government not to cap compensation amounts payable to victims under its compensation scheme or to apply confidentiality agreements, time limits and other arbitrary restrictions.

And to support the call for fees for naturalisation to be waived for all who have been affected and provide legal aid for those who have been affected.

In an emotional response from Cllr Marco Cereste, he added: “I fully support this motion but let us not forget that my community came too – as a member of the Italian community who came to this country in 1953, we have been poorly treated as well as many others have been.

“I’ve worked my entire life in this country, paid taxes, national insurance contributions – but only when we joined the European Union were the Italian community recognised for their hard work and contributions to the United Kingdom.

“And yet, my daughter, who was born here in 1983, was denied until very recently from having a British passport because of these crazy rules.

“While that matter is now resolved, it is not only the Windrush community who have been treated by successive governments in this way.” The motion was unanimously approved by the members of the Full Council.  