Hidden South Asian Windrush victim who felt she 'didn't belong' for 60 years

A south Asian mum said she spent 60 years feeling she didn't belong in Britain because of the Windrush scandal. She was among the hidden victims and was left homeless because she was unable to secure British nationality.

The Windrush scandal involved citizens of former British colonies who moved to the UK to help 'rebuild Britain' after the Second World War. But decades later it was discovered the Home Office did not keep records or paperwork relating to their leave to remain and had destroyed landing cards.

Those of Jamaican and Caribbean descent were largely affected and threatened with deportation. But Indians were heavily impacted and now Birmingham's Nishkam Centre has joined forces with Action for Race Equality (ARE) in a bid to raise the profile of the south Asian victims.

READ MORE: Thousands of homeless, hopeless kids need us - why Brumwish is back this winter

After 1973, UK immigration rules concerning Commonwealth nationals became stricter and as many as 102 Indians had to be assigned an emergency 'taskforce' to provide documents to formalise their right to live and work in the UK.

According to the Immigration Advice Service, of the 102, only 69 Indians were granted documentation as part of the Windrush Scheme. In total, 2,272 cases were handled by the taskforce, the majority from Caribbean countries such as Jamaica (1,093) and Barbados (213).

Nishkam's latest client, who would not be named, said: "I received my nationality certificate which made me feel like I won the lottery. I then, later on, received my passport and that made me feel I finally belonged somewhere. Even though I've been here for 60 years, I never knew where I belonged. I then received compensation and am planning a family trip this year with my daughters.

"I'm 61 and I will be using it to explore the big wide world and travel everywhere while I can."

The mum previously experienced a relationship breakdown and change of circumstances so she had to update her benefits. But HMRC told her she was ineligible and had been overpaid, leaving her £9,000 in debt and with benefits stopped.

She was unable to secure British nationality or passports for her daughters despite applying many times. Unable to buy a home, she was left homeless caring for her young daughters and they were unable to leave the country.

According to Nishkam she could barely eat from all the stress. After applying for the Windrush Compensation Scheme she was awarded £43,000 and her daughters, now adults, were given £140,000.

The scheme allowed people to claim compensation if they suffered losses because they could not show they had a right to live in the UK. Up to March 2024, Home Office data showed £85.86 million has been paid across 2,382 claims and over 86 per cent of claims had received a final decision.

More than 16,800 people had been issued with documentation confirming their status or British citizenship as of the end of 2023. Documentation granted to those across Commonwealth countries included:

• EU: 4,843
• Jamaica: 3,508
• India: 2,509
• Caribbean: 2,128
• Nigeria: 481
• Pakistan: 200
• Ghana: 165
• Bangladesh: 163
• Rest of the world: 2,898

ARE claimed South Asians impacted by the scandal could also be denied access to work, driving licences, housing and healthcare. It said it welcomed the government's plan to appoint a Windrush Commissioner and make £1.5 million available for Windrush advocacy.

Emmanuelle Andrews, from, ARE said: "The Windrush Scandal is a shameful indictment of state failure. And while people from the Caribbean are disproportionately impacted, people from across the Commonwealth, including India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh have been too.

"Grassroots civil society organisations are a critical bridge to reach people who may have been impacted, and their community engagement methods are crucial to reaching more of those affected. The reality is we do not know the true figure of those impacted, which is why we have called on the Government to be as proactive as possible and rely less on survivors coming forward.

"From being denied employment, to losing homes, to being deported, the Windrush Generation members and their descendants, have experienced unconscionable trauma. If you believe you may have been affected, we urge you to reach out to local advocacy groups like Nishkam Civic Association or Genisys ARCt in Birmingham, for support with applying to the Windrush Settlement Scheme or the Windrush Compensation Scheme."