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I don't know how many of you have heard about Windrush, and the scandal surrounding it that took place in England. Some of you might even wonder where I have been for the last few years. Well, I ended getting caught up in that  Windrush saga, which took a lot of my time since then to take on the UK government. Other Guyanese, or descendants of Guyanese, also took up the cause. MP David Lammy and many other MPs of Guyanese descent gave their time for free. The black MPs of South African descent did not lift a finger. I regularly attacked and questioned them on Twitter, but Africans don't care about we West Indians. The British MP Chuka Ammuna is a case in point.
Anyhow, things have now been largely resolved, and I received a letter of thanks from the current UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid, plus a certificate handed to me in person by the Mayor of the borough I life in, in an official ceremony on the 12th of July, on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen. So I am well chuffed, and can now get back to my "normal" life.

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Gilbakka posted:

I've read about Windrush particularly as it relates to Jamaican immigrants deported on that boat decades ago.

And that's the key issue that affects Guyanese who also came to the UK. Because they are not Jamaican and did not come on the Windrush nobody took any notice of their plight. With Guyana becoming independent in 1966 that just complicated matters. But luckily there were Guyanese willing to stand up and be counted as victims of the same hostile policies.

Mr.T
Mr.T posted:

Anyhow, things have now been largely resolved, and I received a letter of thanks from the current UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid, plus a certificate handed to me in person by the Mayor of the borough I life in, in an official ceremony on the 12th of July, on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen. So I am well chuffed, and can now get back to my "normal" life.

Kudos Mr.T,

great respect to folks who make the world a better place.

Django

Welcome back.  I was at a meeting in Brixton where this was discussed in the Carribbean community living there.  Did we cross paths?

A book will be published soon “Memory, Migration, and De colonization in the Caribbean and Beyond”, focusing on the Empire Windrush.  44 Guyanese were on the voyage on June 21st, 1948.

Bibi Haniffa
Last edited by Bibi Haniffa

It was kind of funny when I went to one of these meetings of West Indians. I was the only mixed race person there. But coming to think of it, that shouldn't have been a surprise. Mixed race kids were hard to run into when we were kids. Mixed race kids only really showed up when we migrants started dating the local white girls.

Mr.T
Mr.T posted:

The British MP Chuka Ammuna is a case in point.

I think you mean West African.  Yes many of the Nigerians in the UK used to boast that they "sold off all the lazy and stupid people to the whites".

Curious though. Why does it appear as if only West Indians were involved? Why not South Asians who were also migrating to the UK in large numbers during that period?

Yes this Windrush scandal has being going on for quite a while.  I suspect that it was Brexit  (which made the UK gov't more sensitive about its global image now as it steps away from the EU) that the issue became open. I was reading about this in the Jamaican papers from at least 2011.  I also saw BBC programming on it quite a while back.

FM
caribny posted:
Mr.T posted:

The British MP Chuka Ammuna is a case in point.

Curious though. Why does it appear as if only West Indians were involved? Why not South Asians who were also migrating to the UK in large numbers during that period?

It's a case of West Indians being prepared to stand up and make their voices heard. People from Asia and Africa were also affected, but it's up to them to fight their own corner. They sure haven't shown their support or joined in the fight against the UK government to get things sorted. So it can reasonably assumed that they don't have the same numbers of people who are affected.

Mr.T
caribny posted:
Mr.T posted:

The British MP Chuka Ammuna is a case in point.

I think you mean West African.  Yes many of the Nigerians in the UK used to boast that they "sold off all the lazy and stupid people to the whites".

Curious though. Why does it appear as if only West Indians were involved? Why not South Asians who were also migrating to the UK in large numbers during that period?

Yes this Windrush scandal has being going on for quite a while.  I suspect that it was Brexit  (which made the UK gov't more sensitive about its global image now as it steps away from the EU) that the issue became open. I was reading about this in the Jamaican papers from at least 2011.  I also saw BBC programming on it quite a while back.

There were others involved.  Here is the breakdown by country on board Empire Windrush.

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Bibi Haniffa
Last edited by Bibi Haniffa
Mr.T posted:
 

It's a case of West Indians being prepared to stand up and make their voices heard. People from Asia and Africa were also affected, but it's up to them to fight their own corner. They sure haven't shown their support or joined in the fight against the UK government to get things sorted. So it can reasonably assumed that they don't have the same numbers of people who are affected.

I suspect that IndoPaks don't have that problem as they are certainly well able to represent their interests.  Better in fact than are West Indians.  As often as they travel home to bring back wives if they had this problem it would have shown up long ago.

I also suspect that West Africans in the UK don't see themselves as needing West Indians to help them out.  Most of them arrived long after the Windrush era.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Prashad posted:

Prashad always found West African people, culture and food to be friendly and good. I don't know where the Carib got this stereotype from. Maybe Ian Smith told him.

What stereotypes are you referring to?

1. Most West Africans arrived in the UK after the 70s so were not part of the Windrush generation.  A small % were and it turns out that some also have this problem, but are too small a % of the overall UK based West African population to have much leverage with the leadership of that community.

 2.  A high % of the West Africans arrived as college educated people so often think that they are better than the West Indians, who tended to have a more blue collar background.  The UK isn't like the USA where one can migrate based on having close family members.  So most Africans came in based upon their credentials, so the blue collar element are less represented.  The West Indians arrived as colonials of the British Empire so prior to the early 70s a more blue collar migration was possible.

3. Just as some West Indians/Africans who migrate to the USA look down on black Americans so too do many West African migrants to the UK look down on Caribbean British blacks, hence the reaction to Mr. T to a problem that they didn't think had much to do with them. 

FM
Women from the Caribbean who have been living in the UK for many years and have extensive British families are among those who don't qualify to have their immigration status looked into by the government's Windrush taskforce
Written by Alannah Francis
18/07/2018 12:32 AM

 

A CAMPAIGN calling for the government’s Windrush scheme to be extended to descendants of Caribbean-born British citizens was launched in parliament yesterday evening.

A room full of supporters from around the UK, including women detained in Yarl’s Wood, their families, men of Caribbean heritage who had been detained, MPs and lawyers representing people fighting immigration cases came together to begin mobilising against the government’s “hostile environment” policies.

MP for Tottenham, David Lammy, one of the leading voices in the movement for justice for the Windrush Generation gave an impassioned speech on the importance of the campaign and the continued efforts to resolve the immigration issues members of the Windrush Generation and their families are facing.

The newly elected MP for Lewisham East, Janet Daby, is yet to make her maiden speech in the House of Commons but she’s already making an impact within the parliamentary walls.

Daby, herself a “daughter of Windrush parents” facilitated the campaign launch, which is being led by Movement for Justice.

The campaign is urging the government to extend the scheme set up to resolve immigration issues of members of the Windrush Generation and sees the fees for citizenship applications waived to be extended to cover descendants of those who would be eligible under the scheme.

At present the government’s specialist Windrush taskforce cannot be used by those who came over as adults after 1973, even if they have lived in the UK for decades and their parents would fit the Windrush criteria.

Speaking at the launch, Daby, whose parents are from Guyana, said: “It’s actually an honour to host this event.”

She also pledged to do what she could to continue to support the campaign and said she would speak with the key people involved.

MP Eleanor Smith, who was elected in Enoch Powell’s former seat, Wolverhampton South West, also attended the campaign launch and spoke briefly.

Smith said: “We were a little bit slow off the mark but we’re not now.”

She recounted the hoops her granddaughter, a British citizen, was required to go in order to obtain a passport. Officials requested information on her grandparents and great grandparents during the application process.

Smith emphasised the need to keep pushing forward with the campaign. She said: “I’m like a dog with a bone I don’t let go,” and urged the supporters in the room to not let go either.

Several women who have lived in the UK for more than 10 years, have British children and grandchildren but face deportation and have been detained in Yarl’s Wood also gave emotional testimonies.

One woman, who was brought to tears as she shared her experience with the room, spoke of how she had been supported by a fellow Yarl’s Wood detainee during her time in the immigration detention centre.

She described her roughly four months in the detention centre as “inhumane” and said “at one point I was going to take my own life”.

Another woman called Jennifer, who also broke down in tears, told the room how the Home Office had told her she did not have sufficient family ties to be granted the right to remain in the UK. Jennifer was detained in Yarl’s Wood for seven weeks and

She said the experience was “really devastating for my grandkids and my daughter”.

Karen Doyle, national organiser, Movement for Justice, highlighted the need to raise funds for the campaign.

Lawyers from a number of firms are working pro bono on the cases of Yvonne Smith and Yvonne Williams – two Jamaican grandmothers who have been detained in Yarl’s Wood and are continuing to fight for their right to stay in the UK despite having extensive family ties – something the Home Office refutes – and having lived in Britain for almost 20 years.

Williams, who has four siblings who are all British citizens, seven British grandchildren and no family left in Jamaica, said: “It is very hard, very hard.

“They [the Home Office] keep saying I have no family ties.”

More information on the campaign can be found here.

http://www.voice-online.co.uk/...xtension-govt-scheme

Sunil
Last edited by Sunil
Sunil posted:

At present the government’s specialist Windrush taskforce cannot be used by those who came over as adults after 1973, even if they have lived in the UK for decades and their parents would fit the Windrush criteria.

This is a very important point. Some of those who were not yet 18 upon arrival, but came even as late as 1982 were given indefinite leave to remain. I know of at least one person who was 15 or 16 and came in late 1973, and whose situation has been sorted. Another person who came before that on his mother's passport is having a rough time proving that he did arrive before 1973.

Mr.T
Prashad posted:

Look at the bigger issue here. I think this is not the time to bring up windrush. Only a year ago the powers in Britain were flooding Britain with racist Eastern Europeans most of whom hated people of color.

What nonsense are you babbling.  This is a problem and it must be resolved.  Suppose that Trump's goons knocked on your door and ordered you to return to Granger Land?  Even as you show that you legally entered and remained in the USA.  People cannot allow gov'ts which are hostile to immigrants to willy nilly just unilaterally and illegally change the rules as they wish.

These people entered the UK legally and so have a right to remain there. Furthermore UK laws aren't like the USA. EVERYONE born in the USA is automatically a citizen, even if their parents are illegal immigrants.  With the UK if parents are considered illegal than so are the kids, even if UK born.  So this doesn't only impact Caribbean born people, but also those born in the UK.

FM
caribny posted:
Iguana posted:
Prashad posted:

Prashad always found West African people, culture and food to be friendly and good..

Of course you do. By your own admission you have the genes of three  black West African men in you, you wannabe coolie.

three black men in him?

Yes. He posted that he had his DNA checked. Got his Ancestry.com kit in the mail, unfurled the wrapping, put his DNA sample in and mailed it. Got his results in the mail.

Put on his dhoti, indian headgear, giant red dot on his forehead, whipped up some indian food, real India Indian music playing loudly in the background and proudly opened up his ancestry.com results expecting to find he is descended from some Maharaja. Instead he got this -

25% Ghanian
50% Nigerian
15% Gambian
10% Madrasi

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Mr.T posted:
Prashad posted:

Only a year ago the powers in Britain were flooding Britain with racist Eastern Europeans most of whom hated people of color.

Where did you read that rubbish?

I speak to English people every day. I know what is going on behind the scenes.  There is a battle going on between those who see Britain remaining in the EU because of white solidarity with fellow white brothers and sisters in Europe (these white English people who supported the European Union are blaming people of color for voting for Britain to leave the European Union so that they can get more opportunities for themselves in Britain.  and those who want to see Britain play an important part in a strong Commonwealth.  This Windrush at this time is like a person of color taking his Eastern European racist enemy's gun and shooting himself in the foot and feeling happy about it.

Prashad

All I can say is that you speaking to the wrong sort of people who telling you nonsense. Eastern Europeans have been coming to the UK for years now. It's not the powers in Britain that is flooding the country with them, but the right to freedom of movement within the EU. 
These Eastern Europeans are also hard workers who don't complain much, if at all. Our WI and Asian brothers and sisters have had the country to themselves for years, and they started to stop working hard. So the productivity of the country is now one of the the lowest in the Western world. No wonder therefore that business owners prefer Eastern Europeans. The general public however believe that these migrants are putting pressure on public services, which have in fact been cut by the government over the last 8 years.
The Commonwealth story is another lie. The UK government only really interested in doing business with the US and China under freetrade agreements. That's why this whole Brexit thing is a headache. I can see an armed conflict coming up if things don't get resolved by the 19th of March 2019. I already planning to stock up on food etc. Having lived in Guyana and Suriname I know how bad things can get if and when race and politics collide.

Mr.T
Mr.T posted:

All I can say is that you speaking to the wrong sort of people who telling you nonsense. Eastern Europeans have been coming to the UK for years now. It's not the powers in Britain that is flooding the country with them, but the right to freedom of movement within the EU. 
These Eastern Europeans are also hard workers who don't complain much, if at all. Our WI and Asian brothers and sisters have had the country to themselves for years, and they started to stop working hard. So the productivity of the country is now one of the the lowest in the Western world. No wonder therefore that business owners prefer Eastern Europeans. The general public however believe that these migrants are putting pressure on public services, which have in fact been cut by the government over the last 8 years.
The Commonwealth story is another lie. The UK government only really interested in doing business with the US and China under freetrade agreements. That's why this whole Brexit thing is a headache. I can see an armed conflict coming up if things don't get resolved by the 19th of March 2019. I already planning to stock up on food etc. Having lived in Guyana and Suriname I know how bad things can get if and when race and politics collide.

Mr.T with all due respect.  You are a completely gullible man.  These Eastern Europeans are trying their best to be accepted by white Britain and they are doing so not only by hard work but most importantly by playing up their whiteness.  They are using people of color in Britain to portray to white Britain the concept of "Us Europeans (meaning whites) united against these people of color from the third world who are taking over Britain a European country (meaning a white country) and marrying white women etc." Windrush is an important issue but now is not the time to bring it up. There are much more important things at stake here.  

Prashad
Last edited by Prashad
Mr.T posted:

Even though Trump gets blasted for his policies on migrants, they are still more liberal than those in the UK. The UK decision to vote for Brexit is primarily about immigration. The working committee tasked with Brexit issues doesn't even have a single non-white face in it.

A number of issues.

The USA is almost 40% nonwhite.  The UK a mere 15%.  The USA (and Canada) derive their identity through their immigrant roots.  There is no one way to be "American" or "Canadian".  While the British now accept the fact that it is now a diverse nation I think they wish their immigrants to leave their culture back home.  The French are even worse at this.

In addition black Americans have been in the USA since its beginnings as 13 British colonies, so they have way more assurance and self confidence than do black British.  The latter operate in a more polite culture and still remember the days when they were told to go back home, and being told so by mainstream politicians at that.  This applying even to nonwhite UK born of  immigrant origin.

So yes it is easier for black Americans and nonwhite immigrants to assert their case. I just cannot envisage a scenario in the UK where undocumented kids would feel that they have a right to permanent residence because their undocumented parents brought them in at a young age.  Hell, even some folks who arrived with British colonial passports have had to fight to have the right to remain in the UK.

 

FM
Iguana posted:
 

Yes. He posted that he had his DNA checked. Got his Ancestry.com kit in the mail, unfurled the wrapping, put his DNA sample in and mailed it. Got his results in the mail.

Put on his dhoti, indian headgear, giant red dot on his forehead, whipped up some indian food, real India Indian music playing loudly in the background and proudly opened up his ancestry.com results expecting to find he is descended from some Maharaja. Instead he got this -

25% Ghanian
50% Nigerian
15% Gambian
10% Madrasi

I can now see why he wants to set up New Indesh. 

FM
Prashad posted:

Mr.T with all due respect.  You are a completely gullible man.  These Eastern Europeans are trying their best to be accepted by white Britain and they are doing so not only by hard work but most importantly by playing up their whiteness.  They are using people of color in Britain to portray to white Britain the concept of "Us Europeans (meaning whites) united against these people of color from the third world who are taking over Britain a European country (meaning a white country) and marrying white women etc." Windrush is an important issue but now is not the time to bring it up. There are much more important things at stake here.  

Quite the opposite. The Eastern Europeans do not socialize with anyone from the UK, irrespective of colour. My neighbourhood for instance is full of them, but you won't see them in the local bar, restaurant or supermarket. They travel to their own spots where people from their country hang out.

Neither are Eastern Europeans interested in showing  how hard they work. They give a full day's work for a full day's pay. That is something that this country has not experienced before, or at least for many decades.

Mr.T
Mr.T posted:
Prashad posted:

Mr.T with all due respect.  You are a completely gullible man.  These Eastern Europeans are trying their best to be accepted by white Britain and they are doing so not only by hard work but most importantly by playing up their whiteness.  They are using people of color in Britain to portray to white Britain the concept of "Us Europeans (meaning whites) united against these people of color from the third world who are taking over Britain a European country (meaning a white country) and marrying white women etc." Windrush is an important issue but now is not the time to bring it up. There are much more important things at stake here.  

Quite the opposite. The Eastern Europeans do not socialize with anyone from the UK, irrespective of colour. My neighbourhood for instance is full of them, but you won't see them in the local bar, restaurant or supermarket. They travel to their own spots where people from their country hang out.

Neither are Eastern Europeans interested in showing  how hard they work. They give a full day's work for a full day's pay. That is something that this country has not experienced before, or at least for many decades.

Keep believing this.  It clearly shows how gullible you are.

Prashad

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