Event targets Windrush victims to offer support

31 January 2026

Andy Giddings,West Midlandsand

Oprah Flash,Birmingham

The Reverend Clive Foster hosted the event

PA Media A man with short dark hair, a beard and a large dark blue coat standing outdoors with the blurred shape of a building behind him — The Reverend Clive Foster hosted the event

An event has been held to allow people affected by the Windrush scandal to share their stories.

It took place at Birmingham's Legacy Centre on Saturday and offered those attending the chance to talk to Home Office staff and the Windrush Commissioner, Reverend Clive Foster.

The scandal first came to light in 2018 after it was revealed that the Home Office had failed to keep records of people with indefinite leave to remain in the UK - and had not issued paperwork needed to confirm their legal status.

Thousands of Caribbean migrants who came to the UK between 1948 to 1973 and had the right to remain were wrongly classified as illegal citizens and denied access to homes, jobs and NHS care.

The event enabled people to share their experiences

General view of an event. There is a large screen on a black stage and a long table in front of the stage with five people sitting in a row facing the audience. A crowd of people sitting on white chairs are facing the front and a woman in yellow is stood up at the front — The event enabled people to share their experiences

The event was held between 09:30 and 14:00 GMT at the centre in the Aston area of Birmingham

The Parliamentary Ombudsman Service, the Adjudicator's Office and Bishop Dr Desmond Jaddoo, chair of the Windrush National Organisation were also in attendance.

The office of the Windrush Commissioner said the aim was to give "accurate information about what each department does".

The event allowed people from Commonwealth countries to hear more about how the scandal might have affected them, a spokesperson added.

Bishop Dr Desmond Jaddoo encouraged attendees to come forward if they needed support

Bishop Dr Desmond Jaddoo a man in a blue pinstripe suite with a red tie is talking into a microphone — Bishop Dr Desmond Jaddoo encouraged attendees to come forward if they needed support

Foster told the BBC: "We heard from the Home Office that there are multiple hundreds of people who are still going through status scheme and nearly 4,000 people have been paid compensation.

"People here have said they feel retraumatised when talking about their stories, so people not only want legal support but they want it understood that it's a real emotional challenge and trauma to relive it."

Foster added that it was important to look at the legislation to ensure that the country could safeguard against something like the Windrush Scandal happening again.

"One of the important things that we're doing is getting people to focus on what the scheme is really about, it's about your status," Jaddoo said.

"It's not a reparations scheme, it's to ensure that people get their passports."