I’m still at a loss’: Windrush victims who were forced into homelessness and debt due to scandal still living in anguish and destitution a year on – The Independent

‘On 16 April 2018, Amber Rudd – then home secretary – stood up in the House of Commons to formally acknowledge the Windrush scandal for the first time. The treatment of immigrants by her department’s “hostile environment” was appalling, she said, vowing to deal with cases within two weeks and put things right. But exactly one year later, the suffering goes on. Many are yet to receive a response to their application to the taskforce, leaving them in a “state of limbo” with little or no information about how their case is progressing.’

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The Independent, 16th April 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Windrush: Home Office admits data breach in compensation scheme – BBC News

‘The Home Office has admitted breaching data protection rules when it launched the Windrush compensation scheme.’

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BBC News, 8th April 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Windrush victims’ compensation could prove ‘peanuts’, say lawyers – The Guardian

Posted April 5th, 2019 in citizenship, colonies, compensation, deportation, immigration, news by tracey

‘The government could end up paying as much as £570m in compensation to people affected by the Windrush scandal, but lawyers warned that the design of the scheme meant individual payouts could prove to be very ungenerous.’

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The Guardian, 4th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Windrush scandal: ‘No cap’ on compensation claims – BBC News

‘There is “no limit” to the amount of money that could be paid out to victims of the Windrush scandal, the home secretary has said.’

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BBC News, 3rd April 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Now, a win for the Chagossians – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 6th, 2019 in Chagos Islands, colonies, international courts, international law, news by sally

‘The International Court of Justice has given a near-unanimous opinion that the separation in 1965 of the Chagos archipelago from the then British colony of Mauritius was contrary to the right of self determination, and that accordingly the de-colonisation of Mauritius by the United Kingdom had not been in accordance with international law. The ICJ held that Britain’s continued administration of the archipelago was an internationally wrongful act, which should cease as soon as possible.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 4th March 2019

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Chagos Islands dispute: UK obliged to end control – UN – BBC News

Posted February 26th, 2019 in Chagos Islands, colonies, Diego Garcia, international law, news, United Nations by tracey

‘The UK should end its control of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean “as rapidly as possible”, the UN’s highest court has said.’

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BBC News, 25th February 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Museums grapple with rise in pleas for return of foreign treasures – The Guardian

Posted February 19th, 2019 in artistic works, colonies, news, restitution by sally

‘Neanderthal skulls and the remains of an extinct sloth named after Charles Darwin are among the items requested for repatriation from British institutions, as documents reveal museums are facing calls to return some of their most treasured items to their places of origin.’

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The Guardian, 18th February 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Windrush scandal: Eligible victim wrongly denied help – The Indpendent

Posted February 5th, 2019 in citizenship, colonies, compensation, deportation, immigration, news, passports, victims by tracey

‘The lawyer overseeing a compensation scheme for victims of the Windrush scandal has asked for “urgent clarification” after a woman was wrongly refused Home Office help.’

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BBC News, 5th February 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ep. 62: Court claims from the empire’s long shadow – Law Pod UK

‘Last year the High Court ruled out claims against the British Government brought by people caught up in the Mau Mau emergency in Kenya in the 1950s. The allegations of brutality against guards employed by the Colonial Office were time-barred by the half-century that has elapsed since the events took place. Guy Mansfield QC represented the Foreign Office in this litigation and discusses the importance of the Limitation Act with Rosalind English.’

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Law Pod UK, 21st January 2019

Source: audioboom.com

Windrush hardship fund to offer sums of up to £5,000 to victims – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2018 in citizenship, colonies, compensation, immigration, news by sally

‘The government has announced a hardship fund to provide up to £5,000 to members of the Windrush generation who were wrongly targeted by the hostile environment policy and left destitute, following months of pressure from MPs and campaigners.’

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The Guardian, 17th December 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

High court rejects challenge to ‘hostile environment’ NHS charge – The Guardian

‘A judge has rejected a challenge by a member of the Windrush generation to the government requirement for the NHS to charge overseas patients for treatment.’

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The Guardian, 10th December 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Windrush: ‘Home Office ignored warnings’ – BBC News

‘Home Office processes led to wrongful detentions and deportations of members of the Windrush generation, says a National Audit Office report.’

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BBC News, 5th December 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Home Office admits it has made no attempt to inform Commonwealth deportees about Windrush taskforce – The Independent

‘The Home Office has made no attempt to inform people deported to Commonwealth countries that the Windrush taskforce exists, prompting concerns that people who were wrongly removed do not know they can have their cases looked into.’

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The Independent, 28th November 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

High Court pulls plug on CFA-backed Kenya group action – Litigation Futures

Posted November 22nd, 2018 in armed forces, class actions, colonies, fees, Kenya, limitations, news, rape, torture by tracey

‘The High Court yesterday dismissed the group litigation brought on behalf of more than 40,000 claimants in the so-called Mau Mau case, after six years of work done by lawyers operating on a “no win, no fee” basis.’

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Litigation Futures, 22nd November 2018

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Windrush: 11 people wrongly deported from UK have died – Javid – The Guardian

Posted November 13th, 2018 in citizenship, colonies, deportation, immigration, news, statistics, victims by sally

‘Eight more members of the Windrush generation who may have been wrongly deported by UK authorities have been found to have died, taking the total to at least 11, the home secretary has confirmed.’

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The Guardian, 12th November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Citizens from more than 60 countries referred to Windrush taskforce – The Independent

Posted November 8th, 2018 in citizenship, colonies, deportation, immigration, news, statistics, victims by tracey

‘Citizens from more than 60 countries have been referred to the Windrush taskforce investigating mistreatment of immigrants who have lived in Britain for decades. Legal experts warned a “huge part of the iceberg remains under the surface” after the Home Office revealed 64 nationalities may have been affected by the Windrush crisis, despite the focus being on Caribbean immigrants.’

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The Independent, 8th November 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Mau Mau action with 40,000 claimants in doubt after CA refuses permission to appeal test case – Litigation Futures

Posted October 12th, 2018 in appeals, class actions, colonies, Kenya, limitations, news, personal injuries, torture by sally

‘The future of litigation being brought on behalf of more than 40,000 claimants in the so-called Mau Mau case is in doubt after the Court of Appeal refused permission to hear an appeal against a decision to dismiss the first test case.’

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Litigation Futures, 10th October 2018

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Windrush generation: Formal apology for 18 people – BBC News

Posted August 22nd, 2018 in citizenship, colonies, detention, government departments, immigration, news by sally

‘Eighteen members of the Windrush generation who could have been wrongfully removed or detained are to get a formal apology.’

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BBC News, 21st August 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

High Court dismisses first test case in second wave of Mau Mau claims – Litigation Futures

Posted August 13th, 2018 in colonies, delay, Kenya, limitations, news, personal injuries, torture by sally

‘The High Court has dismissed the first test case brought as part of a second wave of Mau Mau group litigation, following the British government’s settlement of over 5,000 claims for £19.9m in 2013.’

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Litigation Futures, 10th August 2018

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

The Mau Mau litigation: fear is not a personal injury – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted August 8th, 2018 in colonies, Kenya, limitations, news, personal injuries, torture by tracey

‘Kimathi & Ors v Foreign and Commonwealth Office [2018] EWHC 1305 (QB). Stewart J has recently dismissed the first test case in this group litigation, in which over 40,000 Kenyans bring claims for damages against the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, alleging abuse during the Kenyan Emergency of the 1950s and early 1960s, in Kimathi & Others v The Foreign and Commonwealth Office [2018] EWHC 2066 (QB). Jo Moore discusses this in her blog post of 6 August 2018.

Earlier this year however he considered, as a preliminary matter, whether fear, caused either by the tort of negligence or trespass, amounts to personal injury so that the Court has the discretionary power to exclude the 3-year limitation period which arises under section 11 of the 1980 Act. Stewart J concluded that “despite the comprehensive and innovative submissions of the Claimants” (para 37), which included arguments on human rights grounds, fear did not amount to a personal injury.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 7th August 2018

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com