Officials from the Home Office will be attending a public event at CACFO – the Croydon African Caribbean Family Organisation – in Thornton Heath on Saturday November 9.
Changes in Home Office policy have affected thousands of settled citizens
This is the latest in a series of public events being held around the country reaching those who have been affected by Windrush and intended to ensure that they are aware of the help that is available to them.
The event is aimed at affected individuals, community leaders, lawyers, charities and support groups. Members of the Commonwealth Citizens’ Taskforce and the Windrush Compensation Scheme will attend to explain what help and support are available and how to make a claim.
This series of events is the second part of what the Home Office is calling an “engagement programme”. The Conservative government’s immigration minister, Seema Kennedy, spoke of being “determined to right the wrongs of successive governments”, although of course it was only policy changes introduced under the Tories which created the current devastating situation for thousands of long-term, settled citizens.
“The scheme has been designed to be as generous as possible and so I would urge anyone who thinks they may have been affected to attend the event in Thornton Heath and find out more,” Kennedy said.
The Home Office has also established an advisory group to encourage those affected by Windrush. According to a release issued by the Home Office, “The group will aim to build trust with the affected communities so that people of all nationalities come forward to claim compensation. It comprises of community and faith leaders who will meet regularly with senior officials in the Home Office.”
The Windrush Compensation Scheme was launched in April this year to provide payments to eligible individuals who did not have the right documentation to prove their status in the UK and suffered adverse effects on their life as a result.
It is open to almost anyone from a Commonwealth country who arrived and settled in Britain before 1973. Certain children and grandchildren of those arriving before 1973 and some close family members may also be eligible to apply.
It is also open to anyone from any nationality who has the right to live or work in the UK without any restrictions or is now a British Citizen, and arrived in the UK before the end of 1988.
The Thornton Heath event takes place at the Croydon African Caribbean Family Organisation (CACFO), 40 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, CR7 8HQ on Saturday, November 9, between 11am and 1pm.
For more information on Windrush Compensation Scheme community events and the Windrush Compensation Scheme, visit http://www.gov.uk/windrush-compensation.
Individuals can apply to the Windrush Compensation Scheme by downloading the claim form from http://www.gov.uk/windrush-compensation.
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