Windrush
The Windrush Generation refers to those who uprooted their lives in the Caribbean to move to the UK between 1948 and 1971 in order to help rebuild Britain after the war.
'Windrush' refers to the ship, 'Empire Windrush', which brought in the first group of workers.
What was the 'Windrush Scandal'?
The Windrush scandal began in 2017, when the home office destroyed thousands of key documentation, such as landing cards, which proved peoples' rights to live in the UK. This resulted in the wrongful detainment and deportation of thousands.
For more information on the Windrush Scandal, click here:
What was Windrush?
Following the Second World War, Britain's workforce was diminished and their economy severely weakened. In 1948, Britain invited hundreds of people from the Caribbean to move to the UK in order to help rebuild Britain. Many took up work in sectors such as manufacturing, the NHS and public transport. They were granted British citizenship on arrival.
"People were invited to come. One of my early memories of the people that came here was that they felt that they were British because they were under the British sovereignty, so when they came here they were coming to the mother country. The mother country had called them." - Pauline
Click to listen to BEMSCA's involvement in the Windrush thanksgiving event, 2019