DOCSLIB.ORG

Performing and Counter-Performing Borders: Feminist Stories of Migrant Rights Activism in the United Kingdom

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Performing and Counter-Performing Borders: Feminist Stories of Migrant Rights Activism in the United Kingdom Performing and Counter-performing Borders: Feminist Stories of Migrant Rights Activism in the United Kingdom Alice Mukaka A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of East London for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy School of Social Sciences January 2019 Abstract Performing and Counter-Performing Borders: Feminist Stories of Migrant rights Activism in the United Kingdom This thesis examines the performance and performativity of migrant rights activism resisting and challenging the state bordering practices in the UK and providing a grid through which we can comprehend the multi-various migrant solidarities and struggles across the UK. The study presents an array of female voices, rising out of the current migrant rights movement. These include: a) nine women, whose journeys to becoming committed activists at the forefront of the movement are examined; b) an evaluation of the performances of Nine Lives Theatre and how it challenges conformity to dominant political scripts and c) the symbolic performances of three significant acts of resistance: Hope Space, the Yarl’s Wood demonstrations and the Refugees Welcome march. By exploring this chorus of narratives, the research enquires into the emergent interventions and developments of activism, and asks what materials, physical as well as symbolic, can be drawn upon in the ongoing task of un-scribing the state’s border markers. Situated within the feminist anti-bordering research tradition, the study combines narrative and performance-based methodological approaches and tells a story about multiple articulations of migrant dissent, whilst capturing more fully the dynamic quality of the struggle. The findings of this study point to a complexity of contingent and predisposed practices of state bordering in the asylum system and beyond. As borders are not static, so the migrant rights struggle is responsively fluid to counter them. Through narrative means and performance analysis of individuals and groups in the movement, this thesis seeks to articulate the necessity of counter-performance for sustained activism. i Table of Contents Performing and Counter-Performing Borders: Feminist Stories of Migrant Rights Activism in the United Kingdom i Abstract i Table of Contents ii Figures & Tables viii Acknowledgement ix Chapter 1: Histories and trajectories of migrants’ border resistance: a theoretical response 1 1.1 Defining and contextualising borders and border performance 1 1.2 The context for the research: Windrush - the act of making every migrant ‘illegal’ 2 1.3 The contemporary global and local context of bordering 6 1.4 The UK context: new laws and new implementations 11 1.4.1. Scripting the law and legislation 11 1.4.2. Staging operations: 2012-2018 13 1.5. Framing state border performance: performativity, visibility and multi-spatiality. 15 1.5.1. Framing and method 15 1.5.2. Borders are effectively performed into being 19 1.5.3. State bordering practices are highly visible 21 1.5.4. Borders on our streets 23 1.6. A border-counter performance 24 1.7. Thesis structure 26 Chapter 2: Theorising state border performance 30 2.1. Introduction 30 2.2. Border research literature 33 2.2.1 Defining border and bordering 33 2.2.2 Influential research on bordering 36 2.2.2.1 Balibar’s texts of bordering 36 2.2.2.2 Anzaldua and feminist border research 39 2.2.3 Why borders matter: key feminists’ debates and arguments 42 2.2.3.1 Citizenship as separation 43 2.2.3.3. Debates on illegality, differentiation and dehumanisation 45 2.2.3.4. Anti-racist and anti-imperial/colonial frameworks 52 2.2.3.5. Belonging and the rethinking of citizenship 58 2.2.4. Current trends in researching borders 60 2.3 Framing borders as a social performance 63 ii 2.3.1 The meaning of border performativity 64 2.3.1.1. Formal border performativity 65 2.3.1.2. Practical border performativity 66 2.3.1.3. Popular border performativity 66 2.4 Performance Literature 67 2.4.1. Understanding performance 67 2.4.2. Studying the world through the lens of performance 68 2.4.3. Tracing performance landscapes, understanding the ground rules 72 2.4.4. Politics and Performance Framework-PPF 74 2.4.5. Mapping the political performance –PPF deconstructed 75 2.4.5.1. The first axis maps the issue of representation 75 2.4.5.2. The second axis maps political performance and its effect 78 Chapter 3: Methodology 80 3.1. Introduction: rationale for the methodology 80 3.2. Methodology in theory 84 3.2.1. State bordering as performance: theoretical and methodological mapping 84 3.2.2. A performance and narrative approach to methodology 86 3.2.2.1. Political narratives 88 3.2.2.2. Narratives as expressions of lived experience 89 3.2.2.3. Understanding narratives in context 90 3.2.2.3.1. Stories by/ of refugees and asylum seekers 91 3.2.2.3.2. Narratives of processes of change 92 3.3. The practicalities of the research process (method) 94 3.3.1. Overview 95 3.3.2. Preparing for fieldwork 96 3.3.3. Mapping the terrain of activism 97 3.3.4. Recruitment 98 3.3.4.1. Activist participants 98 3.3.4.2 Hope Space participants 98 3.3.4.3. Nine Lives Theatre participation 99 3.3.5. Data collection 100 3.3.5.1. Life history data collection 100 3.3.5.2 Focus group and interview data collection 101 3.3.5.3. Nine Lives Theatre data collection 102 3.3.5.4. Participant observation at protests events 103 3.3.6. Ethical considerations 104 3.3.7. Transcription, analysis and dissemination 105 iii 3.3.7.1 Setbacks and challenges in handling data from interviews 106 3.3.7.2. Data revision and validation with participants 106 3.3.8. Organising Data 107 3.3.8.1 Life Histories 107 3.3.8.2. Focus groups 108 3.3.8.3. Nine Lives Theatre 108 3.3.8.4 Protest events 109 3.3.9 Dissemination 109 Chapter 4: Developing dramatis personae: a contour of key women at the forefront of migrant rights activism 110 4.1. Activists’ journeys to politicisation 110 4.2. Conceptual overview 112 4.3. Presentation of the findings 117 4.3.1 Significance of others and social political settings 119 4.3.1.1. Zita ’s Story 119 4.3.1.2. Debora’s Story 126 4.3.1.3. Liz’s Story 128 4.3.1.4. Zrinka’s Story 131 4.3.1.5. Lisa’s Story 134 4.3.1.6. Amal’s Story 137 4.3.2. Development of self-perception 140 4.3.2.1. On being a woman/feminist 141 4.3.2.2. On values and beliefs 144 4.3.2.3. On class 146 4.3.2.3. Summary of the development of self-perception 147 4.4. The meaning of commitment 148 4.5. Becoming the dramatis personae 153 Chapter 5: Activists talking about their organising practice: mapping the politics of strategic un-bordering 158 5.1. Introduction 158 5.2. Organisation of the chapter 160 5.3. Conceptual review 161 5.4. Findings 162 5.4.1 Activists defining organising: ‘organising is for life’ 162 5.4.2 Activists ascribing meaning to borders and boundaries 165 5.4.2.1. ‘It is a hostile environment’ 165 5.4.2.2. 'Borders are racialised' 169 iv 5.4.2.3 ‘Time for a time limit’ 173 5.4.3 Developing practical solidarities 176 5.4.3.1 Practical solidarities 176 5.3.3.2 Anti-racist frameworks 179 5.4.3.3. Feminisation of resistance 179 5.4.3.3.1. The Rights of Women Seeking Asylum: a Charter 180 5.4.3.3.2. Campaigning against detention of women 183 5.4.3.3.3.Representational politics beyond policy change 184 5.4.3.3.4. Women-only-space of self-care 185 5.4.3.4. Policy and systemic change 186 5.4.3.5. Building alliances 190 5.4.4 On measuring success and vision for the future 191 5.4.4.1. On measuring success 191 5.4.4.2 On visions for the future 193 5.4.4.3. Mentoring future mentors 195 5.5. Conclusion 196 Chapter 6: Countervailing the borders through performance: the making, staging and touring of Nine Lives Theatre 198 6.1. Nine Lives Theatre as a political agent for refugee/migrant rights activism 198 6.1.1. Introduction 198 6.1.2 Conceptual review and methodology 199 6.1.3. Organisation of the findings 203 6.2. The making and staging of Nine Lives Theatre 204 6.2.1 Positioning of author’s textual choices within the power-border matrix 206 6.2.2 Deconstructing the Poetics: the dialogical and discursive frames of Nine Lives 211 6.2.2.1. Frame 1: Understanding otherness 211 6.2.2.2. Frame 2: Everyday as a site of resistance 213 6.2.2.3. Frame 3: The violence of the (asylum) system 216 6.2.2.4. Frame 4: The legal limbo and representation inconsistencies 218 6.2.2.5. Frame 5: Stories of humanity and belonging 220 6.3. Envisioning alternatives: The touring of Nine Lives Theatre 222 6.3.1 Directorial aims and objectives 222 6.3.2 Audience engagement programme and activism 223 6.3.3 The mise en scene 224 6.3.3.1. The suitcase metaphor 225 6.3.3.2. The actor’s ‘make believe’ embodiment 228 6.3.4. Reception/ meaning making and interpretation of the political 229 6.4.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Anthony Joseph & Friends Windrush: a Celebration
    Anthony Joseph & Friends Windrush: A Celebration Start time: 7.30pm Running time: 2 hours 50 minutes including interval Please note all timings are approximate and subject to change Arwa Haider talks to Anthony Joseph and Jason Yarde about putting together a concert to mark the seismic contribution the Caribbean diaspora has made to British culture. On 22 June 1948, passengers disembarked from the HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Dock in Essex. Several hundred of these passengers had boarded the ship in Kingston, Jamaica, and many had travelled from around the Caribbean to Britain: a country inviting immigration from Commonwealth nations as it sought to rebuild itself after WWII. The Windrush generation and its legacy marked a vital sea change for British culture. Tonight, British-Trinidadian poet, novelist, musician and academic Anthony Joseph celebrates the far-reaching impact of the Windrush and the Caribbean diaspora in Britain, with a line-up that is evocative, inspirational and multi-generational. ‘How do we look at 70 years of musical and cultural impact?’ reflects Joseph, when asked about his starting point for the show. ‘Caribbean people have been coming to Britain since the 1800s, but since the 1940s, the diaspora has gone through a series of waves of consciousness. The Windrush generation was coming to what they considered the mother country, trying to fit in and find a place, yet experiencing rejection and denial. We need to address the fact that that the Caribbean is not just Jamaica; I wanted to look at the influence of Trinidad in the 1950s, and how calypso merged into jazz.
    [Show full text]
  • The Windrush Generation
    The Windrush Generation London, United Kingdom 07/06/2018 Sara Maryniak and Cathal Charker This portfolio encompasses every possible aspect of the Windrush generation. There is a specific focus on the history of the generation which gives a solid understanding of who these people are before moving onto the current scandal that has been at the forefront of UK media for the most of early 2018. We included a vast history of the Windrush generation, personal stories and responses from both the government and the public in regards to the current situation while also looking at what this all means for immigration and the cultural impact on a much broader scale. Sara Maryniak and Cathal Charker 1 Contents Page 1. Introduction ……………………………………………. 3 2. Stories a. History of the Windrush Generation ……………. 5 b. Notting Hill and Brixton Riots …………………. 10 c. The Windrush Scandal - What is it …………….. 16 d. Public Response - Windrush scandal attempts to push out generation, only brings Londoners closer together …………………………………... 20 e. Stories Through Portraits: Windrushers 70th Anniversary………………………………………. 24 f. From Jamaica to London: the Story of Alfred …... 28 3. Website a. Website Design …………………………………… 31 4. Reflection a. Reflection Report ………………………………….. 33 5. Sources a. Oral Sources ……………………………………….. 40 b. Written/Literature Sources ………………………... 43 6. Miscellaneous a. Print out of electronic timeline …………………….. 46 Sara Maryniak and Cathal Charker 2 Introduction As a result of the losses during the Second World War, the British government began to encourage mass immigration from the colonies of the British Empire and Commonwealth to fill shortages in the labour market. The Windrush generation became those who migrated from the Caribbean between 1948 and the 1970’s.
    [Show full text]
  • Generation Windrush: Diasporic Landscapes and Settlement
    Perspective Glob J Arch & Anthropol Volume 5 Issue 2 - July 2018 Copyright © All rights are reserved by David Howard DOI: 10.19080/GJAA.2018.05.555657 Generation Windrush: diasporic landscapes and settlement David Howard* Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford, USA Submission: May 25, 2018; Published: July 02, 2018 *Corresponding author: David Howard, Associate Professor in Sustainable Urban Development, Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford, USA, Email: Keywords: Windrush; Landscapes; Settlement; Scandal; Industries; Migrants; Citizenship; Diaspora; Mobility; Bristling; Hostile Environment; Embodiment; Walking; Dignity; Tilbury Docks; Crackdown; Fleeting The Windrush scandal and subtle divergence [2]. The Windrush Generation’s In April 2018, the British government faced widespread contributions to the multiculturalism of British life today have public anger and outcry against, and later acknowledged, the been formative and striking [3,4]. Windrush writers and artists, mistreatment of hundreds of British Caribbean residents who had such as Sam Selvon & Linton Kwesi Johnson [5,6]- LKJ - have settled in the United Kingdom following the Second World War themselves generated a substantial oeuvre of Black British [1]. Migrants from the then British colonies in the Caribbean had writing and cultural energy that lies as much at the heart of been encouraged to cross the Atlantic by the British government British society, as do the economic contributions of the early and industriesand were offered work permits
    [Show full text]
  • Empire Windrush
    Celebrating and commemorating the Windrush Generation and their contribution to British life. EMPIRE WINDRUSH. HMT Empire Windrush ( Picture: The Windrush Foundation. The amazing story of Empire Windrush. Originally known as the Merchant vessel Monte Rosa, the ship was launched in Hamburg in 1930 and was one of a fleet of German passenger liners initially designed to provide cheap travel between Europe and South America. There was accommodation for 1150 passengers in cabins and a further 1350 in dormitories. When the South American routes failed to flourish, the Monte Rosa ran cruises between Norway, the UK and the Mediterranean. After the Nazi regime came to power in Germany, the ship became a state owned vessel providing cheap holidays and leisure activities. She was later converted to a barracks ship and used as a troopship during the German invasion of Norway in 1940, before becoming an accommodation and recreational vessel linked to the battleship Tirpitz. In 1942 the Monte Rosa was used to deport members of Norway’s Jewish population. Of the 46 deportees, all bar two died in the Auschwitz concentration camp. In March 1944 RAF and Royal Canadian Air Force planes set out to sink the ship. Badly damaged the vessel managed to reach Denmark. In June a joint force of British army and Norwegian resistance fighters attached limpet mines to the vessel, which was said to be carrying 3000 enemy troops back to Germany, together with several Norwegian women and children. 200 people were trapped and drowned following the 5am explosion, when the ship’s captain closed the bulkhead doors to stop the Monte Rosa from sinking.
    [Show full text]
  • Migration Then and Now and Its Impact in Europe Case Studies: Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia & United Kingdom Contents
    Migration then and now and its impact in Europe Case studies: Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia & United Kingdom Contents Introduction 4 Czech Republic ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 8 Migration background �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 9 Czech Republic today� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 9 Migration waves in Czechia in 1989-1999� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 10 Push and pull factors � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 11 The Impacts of the migratory movements �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 12 Conclusion� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 13 Bibliography �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 14 Denmark ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 15 Immigrants and Descendants � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �
    [Show full text]
  • June 2020 / Issue No
    “The car caught fire and my brother burned to death in front of my eyes.” Will Steele “That night was a turning “After 18 years in prison Quick reads point in my life that I being able to self-isolate Ian Rankin thriller - never thought I would ever in my own home ain’t no the National Newspaper for Prisoners & Detainees recover from.” Will Steele hardship.” Linda Calvey Reading Ahead a voice for prisoners since Comment // page 24 Comment // page 23 Comment // page 28 June 2020 / Issue No. 252 / www.insidetime.org / A ‘not for profit’ publication/ ISSN 1743-7342 VIDEO VISITS ROLLING OUT 15 // LOCKDOWN FROWNS 22 // LOCKDOWN LEARNING 37 An average of 60,000 copies distributed monthly Independently verified by the Audit Bureau of Circulations WHERE IS PRISONS EXIT STRATEGY? Keeping prisoners locked up 23 hours a day for months on end is turning prisons into “ticking time bombs”, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary warns Inside Time Exclusive infection. He also urged min- controlled regimes stay in want to stay safe and healthy. isters to accelerate early re- place, the number of prisoner But … keeping prisoners in leases to cut overcrowding. deaths in England and Wales this situation for what could In an interview with Inside could be limited to 100, whereas be another year will lead to Time, David Lammy (left) said Prisons have been on lock- without them between 1,900 other problems. the lockdown in jails to curb down since March when the and 2,700 prisoners could die. coronavirus could damage res- whole nation was told to “stay “It will lead to serious issues idents’ mental health and lead at home” in the face of the Lammy welcomed the intro- around mental health and to tensions, conflict and unrest.
    [Show full text]
  • Windrush Lessons Learned Review Independent Review by Wendy Williams
    Independent review by Wendy Williams March 2020 HC 93 Return to an Address of the Honourable the House of Commons dated 19 March 2020 for Windrush Lessons Learned Review Independent review by Wendy Williams Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on 19 March 2020 HC 93 © Crown copyright 2020 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 Where we have identifed any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This publication is available at www.gov.uk/offcial-documents Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at [email protected] ISBN 978-1-5286-1779-6 CCS 0220173690 03/20 Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fbre content minimum. Printed in the UK by the APS Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Offce. CONTENTS Executive Summary 7 Introduction 8 PART 1 What happened, when, and to whom 22 PART 2 Why the scandal happened 48 PART 3 The department’s corrective measures 122 PART 4 Findings and recommendations 134 ANNEX A Terms of reference 154 ANNEX B Review methodology 158 ANNEX C Glossary of terms 166 ANNEX D The Independent Advisory Group 178 ANNEX E Call for evidence 180 ANNEX F Acknowledgements 182 ANNEX G Casefle review: the 164 186 ANNEX H Right to Rent case study 194 ANNEX I Corrective measures 246 ANNEX J Endnotes 266 Executive Summary EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I was asked by the then Home Secretary to A range of warning signs from inside and outside provide an independent assessment of the events the Home Offce were simply not heeded by leading up to the Windrush scandal (particularly offcials and ministers.
    [Show full text]
  • Now Soon Always 18 Nov
    now soon always 18 nov November 2018 1 now This month ... Hello Contents A tapestry of culture November’s remembrance commemorations Now The textured effect on the Barbican’s concrete are particularly significant this year, as it marks Highlights walls is the inspiration for a new kinetic and 100 years since the end of the First World War. interactive art work in the Beech Street tunnel, What’s coming up this month 3–4 How we understand this conflict now it’s no created by the renowned Jason Bruges Studio. longer in living memory is heavily influenced Remembering and reflecting on As a reflection of the tools and workers that by the arts, as we discover on pages 5-6. the First World War 5–6 crafted the textured wall of the building above, Also looking back, we mark 70 years since Cinema 7–8 Brutalist Tapestry uses robotic technology to me- the docking of the Empire Windrush with a Classical Music 9–10 chanically reshape the surface of the 21 metre façade in the tunnel. celebration of Caribbean culture in Britain. Contemporary Music 11–12 Discover the fascinating tale of a spookily Theatre & Dance 13 Three robotic arms work autonomously to prescient film made almost a century ago reveal new details and designs to passers-by. that still feels relevant today (p3), and look Art & Design 14 It is created by translating creative content forward to the future with actress-turned- Soon director Storme Toolis, who tells us she from Culture Mile into tangible marks. The hopes her production will empower a Book now for these artwork seeks to prompt questions about the whole generation of young people (p3).
    [Show full text]
  • KS2 Lesson Plans for Studying the Empire Windrush and Caribbean Migration Windrush Foundation ©
    Windrush Foundation © KS2 Lesson Plans for Studying the Empire Windrush and Caribbean migration Windrush Foundation © TABLE OF CONTENTS Background Information For Teachers 08 Introduction 08 KS2 Lesson Plans 11 Lesson 1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Lesson 2 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Lesson 3 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 Lesson 4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 Lesson 5 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 Lesson 6 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 Evaluation 18 Cross Curricular Links 18 Glossary 22 Resources – Lesson 1 28 Music – Island in the Sun ----------------------------------- 28 World Map – School to provide Large Wall Map and/or the one in the Maps Folder ----------------------------------- 29 Where in the world are the Caribbean Countries? Fact sheet ----------------------------------- 30 COUNTRIES OF THE CARIBBEAN ----------------------------------- 30 WHAT ARE THE CAPITALS OF THE CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES? ----------------------------------- 30 KS2 Lesson Plans for Studying the Empire Windrush and Caribbean
    [Show full text]
  • Panel 1: Introduction (PDF, 476KB)
    HMT Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury in Essex on 21 June 1948. The following day, 492 British subjects from the Caribbean were among the 1027 passengers who alighted to start new lives in the country identified as their motherland. The ship was travelling from Australia to England via the Atlantic and docked in Kingston, Jamaica, to pick up service men and women who were on leave. It was far from full, and an advertisement was placed in Jamaican newspaper 1 The Daily Gleaner', offering cheap transport to those wanting work in the UK. With the promise of prosperity and employment, Windrush passengers brought with them a wide range of trades and skills. Most paid a fare of £28 1 0s and they included mechanics, carpenters, tailors, engineers, welders and musicians. There were two stowaways on board and, with the presence of calypso artists Lord Kitchener and Lord Beginner, the atmosphere on the voyage was reported as jolly, boisterous and hopeful. The majority of the new arrivals from the Caribbean were male, and many were veterans who had fought for Britain in the Second World War. More than 10,000 West Indians had volunteered to fight against Hitler and thousands more served as merchant seamen. The RAF recruited more people from the Caribbean than any other part of the British Empire, with around 400 air crew and 6,000 ground staff. The arrival of the Empire Windrush is heralded as the beginning of muti­ culturalism in this country, but there was a greater black presence in Britain in 1944 than in 1948.
    [Show full text]
  • Windrush Lessons Learned Review Independent Review by Wendy Williams
    Independent review by Wendy Williams March 2020 HC 93 Return to an Address of the Honourable the House of Commons dated 19 March 2020 for Windrush Lessons Learned Review Independent review by Wendy Williams Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on 19 March 2020 HC 93 © Crown copyright 2020 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 Where we have identifed any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This publication is available at www.gov.uk/offcial-documents Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at [email protected] ISBN 978-1-5286-1779-6 CCS 0220173690 03/20 Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fbre content minimum. Printed in the UK by the APS Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Offce. CONTENTS Executive Summary 7 Introduction 8 PART 1 What happened, when, and to whom 22 PART 2 Why the scandal happened 48 PART 3 The department’s corrective measures 122 PART 4 Findings and recommendations 134 ANNEX A Terms of reference 154 ANNEX B Review methodology 158 ANNEX C Glossary of terms 166 ANNEX D The Independent Advisory Group 178 ANNEX E Call for evidence 180 ANNEX F Acknowledgements 182 ANNEX G Casefle review: the 164 186 ANNEX H Right to Rent case study 194 ANNEX I Corrective measures 246 ANNEX J Endnotes 266 Executive Summary EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I was asked by the then Home Secretary to A range of warning signs from inside and outside provide an independent assessment of the events the Home Offce were simply not heeded by leading up to the Windrush scandal (particularly offcials and ministers.
    [Show full text]
  • Head Master's Assembly Monday, June 15 in 2018 the Windrush
    Head Master’s Assembly Monday, June 15 In 2018 the Windrush Scandal rocked the UK Government when it emerged that many of those who travelled by sea to the UK from the West Indies on Her Majesty’s Transport (HMT) Empire Windrush at the invitation of the British government to help Britain rebuild after years of war were, in later years, and up until very recently, either wrongly deported, wrongly detained, denied re-entry, denied benefits or access to the NHS. Many lost their jobs and their homes because the permanent leave to remain in the country that was automatically granted to them as Commonwealth migrants when they arrived in Britain, was not, in subsequent years, recognised by the Home Office. This left many people, some of whom had been in the UK for decades, without formal paperwork to prove their legitimate entitlement to reside in the UK. The Scandal was investigated by several parliamentary committees, including the Human Rights Committee, and yet, in spite of measures such as redress and hardship schemes designed to assist those many whose lives were so badly affected by the injustice, the effects of the Government’s actions remain for many and provide an uncomfortable reminder of what the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales referred to in their statement on the killing of George Floyd as the ‘systemic racism embedded in our own society.’ *** Andrea Levy’s prize-winning 2004 novel, Small Island, (now both a play and a TV series) is in many ways the story of the Windrush experience. Levy, who died of breast cancer last year at the age of 62, spoke about her intentions for the novel in an interview with Caribbean Beat in 2004 When I started Small Island I didn’t intend to write about the war.
    [Show full text]