Understanding Windrush: A Millenial Perspective

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] cannot speak on any existence other than my own in the Caribbean. Personally, I’ve been startled in my 20s by several aspects of Caribbeanhood. Though I learned early how really tiny Saint Lucia was, reluctantly acknowledging it as a mere dot on the map of the world, nothing could have prepared me for the ignorance of 90% of the foreigners I would meet outside Saint Lucia who knew only that the Caribbean was the setting for a popular pirate-movie franchise. The nuances grew exhausting: standing forever at immigration windows, banks, and Western Union while tellers scurried to figure out where Saint Lucia was. I once stood at a Western Union in Taiwan for nearly fifteen minutes as the girl behind the counter struggled to find Saint Lucia’s transfer code, nervously mumbling,   “Caribbean or Columbia?”

Then there was having firmly to proclaim my first language to be English; sifting through schools to find the ones that hired Caribbean English teachers and then being discouraged from telling my students where I was from for fear they would report the discovery to parents who might possibly be concerned about their kids being taught English by someone not British, American or Canadian. Needless to say, my obsession with dialogues on, and learning to navigate, discrimination, nationality and racial bias was birthed and I have since found myself latching on to any global discussion with the topic at its centre. Like Windrush.

I should admit I learned of Windrush only when the media collectively brought to light the stories of those affected, although the cases dated back to 2014. After watching a few painful interviews during which British-Caribbean nationals explained that they had lived in the UK for over 40 years and now were having the title “illegal immigrant” placed around their necks, which denied them access to free healthcare, threatened their jobs and rendered them liable to deportation, I yearned to know more.

“Windrush” is the shortened form of “Empire Windrush”—the name of the ship aboard which 948 invited West Indian men, women and children had travelled to Britain after the Second World War to help rebuild the English Empire. Those interviewed talked of entering the UK at a time when their home countries were British colonies, and being told they could stay permanently. Many had never seen the need to arm themselves with official documents. How could they have known that in 2010 thousands of them would have their landing cards destroyed by the UK government?

Under the leadership of current Prime Minister Theresa May, who at the time was Home Secretary, a new immigration law was passed in 2012 that resulted in any person who could not prove UK citizenship, facing devastating problems, including deportation. The Windrush travellers were the worst hit.   

The feeling among some British nationals is that this is another purposeful dig at the UK’s black population, proving yet again that those who pursue greener pastures overseas need to be on the lookout for the snakes of racism and imperialism. Others have expressed that the authorities should have picked up on the situation years ago.

Caribbean leaders met with Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May on April 17, 2018 to discuss the shared concern. A related clip shows Theresa May saying: “The Windrush generation helped to build the country that we are today and I want to dispel any impression that my government is in some sense clamping down on Commonwealth citizens, particularly those in the Caribbean who have built a life here. I take this issue very seriously. The Home Secretary apologized to the House of Commons yesterday for any anxiety caused and I want to apologize to you today because we are genuinely sorry for any anxiety that has been caused.”

Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Mr. Allen Chastanet, said in a Channel 4 interview that he believed May’s apology was sincere. He addressed the widespread attitude that the Windrush issue is rooted in racism: “I can’t say that, but I can see how some people will feel that way. There are clearly other things that have happened to West Indians and people of colour that makes you question whether in fact there are two sets of rules.” For the most part, Chastanet’s statement reflected the thinking of other Caribbean government ministers. On the other hand, Antigua’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne cited “deeper cultural problems” in the UK.

Thus far, no definite cases of deportation of members of the Windrush generation have been reported, although one scheduled suspicious deportation order has been halted for review. The Home Office has committed itself to reviewing all cases to ensure no incorrect deportations have taken place. The government has also promised due compensation.

Saint Lucia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Mr. Guy Mayers, has issued a call to all Saint Lucians who may know someone who has been affected, to contact the Saint Lucian government and UK office for proper assistance. In the meantime, to echo the sentiments of Allen Chastanet: We now wait to see whether the UK’s promises are kept.