Seventy-five years ago, a ship landed at Tilbury Dock near London, England. It carried more than 800 passengers starting new lives in Great Britain. They and others would come to be known as the “Windrush generation.” But behind this year’s anniversary celebrations lies a difficult story.
The HMT Empire Windrush docked on June 22, 1948. It carried people from British-ruled Caribbean islands. Many had fought in World War II. They came at the request of the UK government. They would labor as nurses, miners, farmers, and more. These people—some 500,000 from 1948 to 1971—would help rebuild a nation decimated by war.
Great Britain was forever grateful, right? Sadly, no.
Beginning in 2012, these long-term residents—the Windrush generation—started being hassled by immigration authorities. Officials wanted the very papers they neither needed nor were given when they came.
As citizens of the British Empire, they had the right to live and work in Great Britain. But new laws left many Windrush folks helpless. Some were detained. Dozens were deported to countries they barely remembered.
Thomas Tobierre was born on St. Lucia. In 1961, at age seven, he moved to Britain with his parents on a family passport, as did many children at the time.
In 2017, the company where he’d worked for almost 30 years closed. He needed new employment. Tightened immigration rules meant Tobierre had to show proof of his right to work when applying for a job. Without a passport or other documents, he couldn’t meet the requirements—even though he’d worked and paid taxes in the United Kingdom since he was 15.
It took a year to secure proper papers. Tobierre went broke trying to survive and help his sick wife.
He wasn’t alone. The Home Office estimates there are about 12,000 victims of the scandal. There may have been more.
Today, “Windrush generation” stands for those who replanted to help Great Britain. For many, the term means more. There’s “also an element of it that means scandal and betrayal,” says book editor Onyekachi Wambu.
After a massive outcry, the British government apologized. Officials began investigating and established a compensation program.
Each year, Windrush Day features a flurry of events. This year’s celebration included a reception hosted by King Charles III and a royal mail stamp.
Meanwhile, folks like Tobierre are still waiting. His wife died while he battled for reimbursement for lost wages. Daughter Charlotte says the fight is “a lifelong scar that I think every Windrush claimant will bear.”
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. — Isaiah 43:2
Why? Studying how people are treated can help give both empathy and an impulse to do better as you deal with others—casually or in a formal leadership role.
