Windrush

Windrush is a term that applies to several linked subjects in the history of the United Kingdom. It most commonly refers to the MV Empire Windrush, the British passenger liner whose 1948 arrival in the UK symbolized postwar migration from the Caribbean. It also denotes the Windrush generation, Caribbean-born residents who settled in Britain from 1948 through the early 1970s under the British Nationality Act 1948.

Empire Windrush arrived in the United Kingdom in June 1948, carrying about 492 passengers in search of work and a new life in the rebuilding country. The voyage became a landmark event in postwar immigration history and helped prompt substantial Caribbean settlement across British cities, especially London.

The Windrush generation describes those migrants and their descendants who contributed to British society in the subsequent decades. They played a role in rebuilding public services, including the National Health Service and transportation networks, and helped shape the cultural and social landscape of postwar Britain. Many faced discrimination and legal uncertainties as immigration policies evolved, and some encountered difficulties obtaining documentation and securing long-term residency.

Windrush also refers to a major policy crisis that emerged publicly in 2018. The government acknowledged that hundreds of people with the right to reside in the UK were wrongly treated as illegal immigrants, leading to detentions, service restrictions, and the threat of deportation for some individuals. The Windrush scandal prompted official apologies, compensation schemes, and policy reforms aimed at protecting the rights of Commonwealth citizens and preventing a recurrence.

Windrush Day, observed on 22 June, commemorates the arrival of the Empire Windrush and the contributions of its successors to British society. The term remains used to describe the Caribbean diaspora in the UK and the ongoing conversation about immigration and citizenship.