Why didn't the 'Windrush Generation' get off their arse and apply for passports?

Pleasantri

14

If they had, they wouldn't be having these problems.

Reply 1

RickHendricks

19

oh god not another one

Reply 2

Pleasantri

OP

14

Original post by RickHendricks

oh god not another one

I haven't seen the other threads, but I'm simply interested in understanding why people who did nothing about formalising their status here in decades feel that our Government are the ones in the wrong.

Reply 3

username3895014

21

Original post by Pleasantri

If they had, they wouldn't be having these problems.

Understandable, however most of them might not have had any sort of knowledge on how to apply, I'm sure only a handful were able to understand and speak English, let alone write in it. There wasn't as much help back then as there is now

Reply 4

Secular_Priest

13

Original post by Pleasantri

I haven't seen the other threads, but I'm simply interested in understanding why people who did nothing about formalising their status here in decades feel that our Government are the ones in the wrong.

If we ignore the blatantly and institutionally racist position of abrasive immigration policies, the problem lies in who they are. These people were invited, exploited and treated to racist abuse. To all and sundry, they have been legal immigrants for their whole lives. It is not the responsibility of a human to justify that which they were previously entitled to.

Reply 5

Drewski

19

Original post by Pleasantri

I haven't seen the other threads, but I'm simply interested in understanding why people who did nothing about formalising their status here in decades feel that our Government are the ones in the wrong.

A passport doesn't prove one's status as a citizen.

Reply 6

saleeemmm

8

Original post by Pleasantri

I haven't seen the other threads, but I'm simply interested in understanding why people who did nothing about formalising their status here in decades feel that our Government are the ones in the wrong.

The below is taken from the Guardian website:

Some children, often travelling on their parents’ passports, were never formally naturalised and many moved to the UK before the countries in which they were born became independent, so they assumed they were British. In some cases, they did not apply for passports.

The Home Office did not keep a record of people entering the country and granted leave to remain, which was conferred on anyone living continuously in the country since before 1 January 1973.

And in 2010, landing cards belonging to Windrush migrants were destroyed by the Home Office

Reply 7

saleeemmm

8

Original post by saleeemmm

The below is taken from the Guardian website:

Some children, often travelling on their parents’ passports, were never formally naturalised and many moved to the UK before the countries in which they were born became independent, so they assumed they were British. In some cases, they did not apply for passports.

The Home Office did not keep a record of people entering the country and granted leave to remain, which was conferred on anyone living continuously in the country since before 1 January 1973.

And in 2010, landing cards belonging to Windrush migrants were destroyed by the Home Office

In 2010, when Theresa May was Home Secretary, thousands of landing cards – which recorded the dates of arrival in the UK – were thrown away. This action went against internal warnings that it would be harder for Caribbean-born residents to establish their right to live in the UK.

Source: https://rightsinfo.org/may-and-rudd-apologise-to-the-windrush-generation-but-did-the-state-violate-their-rights/

Reply 8

Pleasantri

OP

14

Original post by Secular_Priest

If we ignore the blatantly and institutionally racist position of abrasive immigration policies, the problem lies in who they are. These people were invited, exploited and treated to racist abuse. To all and sundry, they have been legal immigrants for their whole lives. It is not the responsibility of a human to justify that which they were previously entitled to.

I'm sorry, you haven't answered my question. Had they done what any reasonable person would who requires citizenship and requires access to a certain country, they would have formalised their status. The Windrush Generation failed to do so and have brought these problems upon themselves.

Reply 9

Drewski

19

Original post by saleeemmm

In 2010, when Theresa May was Home Secretary, thousands of landing cards – which recorded the dates of arrival in the UK – were thrown away. This action went against internal warnings that it would be harder for Caribbean-born residents to establish their right to live in the UK.

Source: https://rightsinfo.org/may-and-rudd-apologise-to-the-windrush-generation-but-did-the-state-violate-their-rights/

Decision was taken by the Border officials in the Home office in 2009, when Labour's Alan Johnson was in charge. As he himself has confirmed.

Edit: got surname wrong

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 10

saleeemmm

8

Mr Howard is one of an estimated 15,000 people living in the UK who arrived here from Jamaica before 1971, when citizens from across the Commonwealth who were living in the UK were given indefinite leave to remain. They were not issued with paperwork to prove this right, however, and now some of the Windrush generation – it isn’t yet clear how many – have been told by immigration officials that the country they’ve called home since childhood doesn’t want them

Source: https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/windrush-scandal-real-life-impact/

Reply 11

Pleasantri

OP

14

Original post by Drewski

A passport doesn't prove one's status as a citizen.

I'm not disagreeing, but I am interested to see howso.

Reply 12

username2337287

14

1) In the 50s till the late 70s, there was no public awareness of incentive for these immigrants to apply for a passport, one must recognize that these commonwealth citizens were invited to Britain after the war. Therefore, since the majority of the "Windrush" immigrants were children when they arrived in Britain, they, therefore, lacked the knowledge and did not have the incentive to apply for a passport, considering Britain was their home; consequently seeing the UK as a stabilized, and secure place of home. Britain is there home, and they have been shaped by British ideals, values and society, they were educated in Britain, they are fully British. How about you leave this country, taking bigotry with you!

Reply 13

Profesh

20

Original post by RickHendricks

oh god not another one

No; it's still the same one.

Reply 14

Danwilkes02

4

Original post by Pleasantri

I'm sorry, you haven't answered my question. Had they done what any reasonable person would who requires citizenship and requires access to a certain country, they would have formalised their status. The Windrush Generation failed to do so and have brought these problems upon themselves.

Well... no. They didn’t apply for citizenship because they didn’t request access themselves. They were invited. And then they weren’t told, asked or made to apply for citizenship. Considering this was pre-internet, and many spoke little English, they had no way of finding out how to apply for citizenship.

Reply 15

melliottme

14

Original post by Ikhan1

Understandable, however most of them might not have had any sort of knowledge on how to apply, I'm sure only a handful were able to understand and speak English, let alone write in it. There wasn't as much help back then as there is now

English is the official language in Jamaica and the people of Ŵindrush certainly spoke English after the war.

I truly have sympathy with the Windrush people but the OP does have a point; the grandmother who was busy raising her children and working did not get round to apply for a British passport but must have applied for more than one Jamaican passport to return to Jamaica. Other imigrant arrived aged 14 as part of the Windrush and as soon as the 10 year time period expired he applied immediately for his British passport.

Reply 16

Pleasantri

OP

14

Original post by Science99999

1) In the 50s till the late 70s, there was no public awareness of incentive for these immigrants to apply for a passport, one must recognize that these commonwealth citizens were invited to Britain after the war. Therefore, since the majority of the "Windrush" immigrants were children when they arrived in Britain, they, therefore, lacked the knowledge and did not have the incentive to apply for a passport, considering Britain was their home; consequently seeing the UK as a stabilized, and secure place of home. Britain is there home, and they have been shaped by British ideals, values and society, they were educated in Britain, they are fully British. How about you leave this country, taking bigotry with you!

I'm sorry but times have changed. I do however recognise you telling me to leave this country, this is what our left shows. It is the left that should stay in opposition.

Reply 17

NonIndigenous

20

Original post by Danwilkes02

Well... no. They didn’t apply for citizenship because they didn’t request access themselves. They were invited. And then they weren’t told, asked or made to apply for citizenship. Considering this was pre-internet, and many spoke little English, they had no way of finding out how to apply for citizenship.

Any grown up common sense dictates though that you should get your paperwork in order.

Every country on Earth I know of operates on simple principles like this. They don't necessarily use the same paperwork, the same ID cards... but they usually have something.

Exceptions apply to people such as tribal indians living in the Amazon rain forest.

Reply 18

Pleasantri

OP

14

Original post by Profesh

No; it's still the same one.

Haha gingernut, be advied that more than a lot of us think a load of people being able to take aim at the government (purely because of their laziness) disgusts us.