Lewisham Council Homepage Login / Register Services Mayor and Council In my area Search Home Mayor and Council Windrush advice for Lewisham residents Listen About Windrush About the Windrush generation and the immigration challenges facing them. The Windrush generation Around 524,000 UK residents arrived between 1948 and 1971 from Commonwealth countries. The term ‘Windrush generation’ applies to them. ‘Windrush’ refers to the ship MV Empire Windrush. This ship brought 492 passengers from the Caribbean to the UK on 22 June 1948. Contribution to UK life The Government invited the Windrush generation to this country. This was to help rebuild the UK after the Second World War and to address labour shortages. The Windrush pioneers have contributed to every part of British society. They have transformed UK sport, arts and culture. Indefinite leave to remain The 1971 Immigration Act restricted immigration from Commonwealth countries. Commonwealth citizens living in the UK before 1973 were allowed to stay indefinitely. Challenges facing the Windrush generation The 1971 Act gave those from Commonwealth countries already in the UK an indefinite leave to remain. But thousands of children had travelled to the UK on their parents’ passports, without their own documents. Immigration checks From 2012, the Government changed its immigration policy. Some people who had lived in the UK for decades had to have immigration checks. For those without documents, it was difficult to prove their lawful status. Many could not get benefits, healthcare and social housing. Some lost their jobs, were wrongly detained or even deported. In this section Windrush Compensation Scheme information event Windrush help for Lewisham residents Lewisham Council and Windrush About Windrush How helpful did you find this page? Send us a message if there’s a problem with our website. Share page Share by email Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email Share Find out more about us News and updates Jobs Interactive map Accessibility About this site Contact us Copyright 2021 © Lewisham Council. Top

Lewisham Council Homepage Login / Register Services Mayor and Council In my area Search Home Mayor and Council About us Listen Advertising with us Find out how to advertise your business, community group or charity in our publications. Book a Lewisham Life advert Lewisham Life magazine Find out about advertising in Lewisham Life magazine, which provides an excellent value-for-money advertising opportunity to reach the entire borough. Lewisham Life enewsletter Advertise in our weekly enewsletter to reach the borough's residents at any time of the year. Terms and conditions The conditions for publishing an advert in our quarterly magazine. How helpful did you find this page? Send us a message if there’s a problem with our website. Share page Share by email Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email Share Find out more about us News and updates Jobs Interactive map Accessibility About this site Contact us Copyright 2021 © Lewisham Council. Top