A View from Jamaica: The Windrush Generation

Between 1948 and 1971, Great Britain welcomed over 500,000 Caribbean nationals from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados. Those who took the first voyage on the Empire Windrush ship arrived on June 22, 1948. Under the Immigration Act of 1948, they were granted British citizenship to legally remain in the UK and to obtain work and housing.

However, after 70 years of residing in the UK, members of the Windrush Generation have been deported back to their respective Caribbean islands under the new Immigration Act of 2012. Now that the deportation has been recognized as a global immigration issue, people from around the world are advocating that the Windrush members receive British citizenship, compensation, and apologies.