Project Windrush
Donation protected
Project Windrush
This is an urgent appeal as we are seeking funding to undertake a project that we would never have dreamed would have been necessary, but unfortunately it is.
Children from the commonwealth who were invited to the UK along with their parents as part of the UK’s recruitment drive in the colonies, are now in their retirement years facing deportation from the UK.
They have not committed any crime.
They entered the UK legally and were in fact invited and encouraged to relocate to the UK to help build post war Britain.
They have worked hard – Building our NHS and Transport system to name just a few industries and paid taxes in the UK for 50 plus years.
They are now at or nearing retirement age and have British children and grandchildren as well as their wider family friends and support systems in the UK.
Most of these fellow citizens arrived between the ages of 2 – 9 years old.
All entered the UK legally.
Many have never left the UK after arriving in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s as travelling for leisure purposes was not as common as it is now.
These children were depending on adults to apply for them to be naturalised so that they would officially become British Citizens. Some are only now discovering that this was necessary and never happened.
The 1971 Immigration Act gave people already settled in Britain Indefinite leave to Remain. These children are now adults and most have struggled to gather enough documents to convince the Home Office that they arrived before the cut off point. We are not sure if the same vigour used in the recruitment drive encouraging Commonwealth Citizens to bring their families to work and settle in Great Britain was used when advertising the cut off point to naturalise.
Consequences
We now have our elderly residents being hauled into Immigration Removal Centres and facing deportation to countries some have never visited as adults, when they should be taking it easy in their retirement after giving their all to this nation.
We now have near retirement aged residents being refused cancer treatment, becoming homeless and dismissed from their place of work as well as being refused benefits or any recourse the the public funds which they have paid into for the past 50 plus years.
Families are being needlessly seperated
What can you do to help?
1. Sign the petition on our website – Tell the government that you are in solidarity with these fellow residents and that the Home Office should take a more humane approach with these residents, allowing them a special category for naturalisation with less official paperwork as a burden of proof for naturalisation.
2. Donate to support our outreach caseworker to help identify and support those at risk to get their paper work in order before they are taken into government custody. We are trying to raise 140k for a 24 month intensive project. Every little helps.
3. If you’re a funding organisation or know of an individual or organisation that can support our cause – Please direct them to our Go Fund me link.
4. Please email us information about any support for the destitute UK wide, as we are seeing people loose their homes and end up on the streets as they are now categorised as ‘illegal immigrants’.
5. If you are aware of anyone at risk or who is actually going through this process please get in touch with their details so that we can assist them. All identifying information remains confidential and is only shared with the individuals permission.
This is an urgent appeal as we are seeking funding to undertake a project that we would never have dreamed would have been necessary, but unfortunately it is.
Children from the commonwealth who were invited to the UK along with their parents as part of the UK’s recruitment drive in the colonies, are now in their retirement years facing deportation from the UK.
They have not committed any crime.
They entered the UK legally and were in fact invited and encouraged to relocate to the UK to help build post war Britain.
They have worked hard – Building our NHS and Transport system to name just a few industries and paid taxes in the UK for 50 plus years.
They are now at or nearing retirement age and have British children and grandchildren as well as their wider family friends and support systems in the UK.
Most of these fellow citizens arrived between the ages of 2 – 9 years old.
All entered the UK legally.
Many have never left the UK after arriving in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s as travelling for leisure purposes was not as common as it is now.
These children were depending on adults to apply for them to be naturalised so that they would officially become British Citizens. Some are only now discovering that this was necessary and never happened.
The 1971 Immigration Act gave people already settled in Britain Indefinite leave to Remain. These children are now adults and most have struggled to gather enough documents to convince the Home Office that they arrived before the cut off point. We are not sure if the same vigour used in the recruitment drive encouraging Commonwealth Citizens to bring their families to work and settle in Great Britain was used when advertising the cut off point to naturalise.
Consequences
We now have our elderly residents being hauled into Immigration Removal Centres and facing deportation to countries some have never visited as adults, when they should be taking it easy in their retirement after giving their all to this nation.
We now have near retirement aged residents being refused cancer treatment, becoming homeless and dismissed from their place of work as well as being refused benefits or any recourse the the public funds which they have paid into for the past 50 plus years.
Families are being needlessly seperated
What can you do to help?
1. Sign the petition on our website – Tell the government that you are in solidarity with these fellow residents and that the Home Office should take a more humane approach with these residents, allowing them a special category for naturalisation with less official paperwork as a burden of proof for naturalisation.
2. Donate to support our outreach caseworker to help identify and support those at risk to get their paper work in order before they are taken into government custody. We are trying to raise 140k for a 24 month intensive project. Every little helps.
3. If you’re a funding organisation or know of an individual or organisation that can support our cause – Please direct them to our Go Fund me link.
4. Please email us information about any support for the destitute UK wide, as we are seeing people loose their homes and end up on the streets as they are now categorised as ‘illegal immigrants’.
5. If you are aware of anyone at risk or who is actually going through this process please get in touch with their details so that we can assist them. All identifying information remains confidential and is only shared with the individuals permission.
Organizer
Neasha Clarke
Organizer
