Sajid Javid denies Windrush is 'systemic failure' of Home Office
MPs question how Windrush generation could be placed in deportation centres after providing years of payslips and contributions.
Wednesday 6 June 2018 21:09, UK
The new home secretary has denied the Windrush scandal was a "systemic failure" by the Home Office.
Sajid Javid defended the staff in his new department at a human rights committee meeting about the scandal which has left thousands of people from the Caribbean fearing deportation from the UK.
MPs questioned how members of the Windrush generation could be placed in deportation centres despite providing years of payslips and National Insurance numbers.
But they were told that staff did not link up with HMRC so could not prove payments were made - but they are working together now.
The committee looked at the casefiles of two people who had faced deportation multiple times after supplying all the documents they could.
Anthony Bryan came over from Jamaica aged nine in 1965 and had never been out of the country since, while Paulette Wilson also came over from Jamaica aged 10 in 1968.
Director-general of the Home Office, Bryn Williams, who was with Mr Javid, admitted he "does not think" the detention of the two individuals was lawful and that his department "fell short".
Mr Javid, who mentioned his parents came from a Commonwealth country, said he was "appalled" and is "very sorry" for what happened to them.
"No-one should be treated like that in a democratic country like ours, it was profoundly wrong and we still have lessons to learn," he admitted.
However, Mr Bryan told Sky News he was not satisfied with the Tory frontbencher's answers.
Mr Javid said that as a new home secretary he is a fresh set of eyes, after his predecessor Amber Rudd resigned at the end of April over the scandal.
And he admitted it was unacceptable that the burden of proof was on the individual to prove they came to the UK in the years after the Second World War, when the UK was encouraging immigration from the Commonwealth after heavy human losses during the war.
The new home secretary said the system is "more set-up for people who've already had to prove status" as they have arrived in the past "10, 15 years".
He said there is "absolutely no reason" why people from the Windrush generation would have kept documents in case they needed to apply for leave to remain, as they considered themselves British citizens.
But he denied Home Office staff looked at their applications without logic, compassion or common sense or that staff were under pressure to reach targets.
A new taskforce and a Windrush Scheme has been set up which means people only have to fill out one form and caseworkers will actively work to find applicant's documents and prove they have lived in the UK for decades.
Mr Javid told the committee: "I do want to get to the bottom of have there been other similar cases of people from the Windrush generation that were wrongly detained? That work is still ongoing.
"I've set a task for the team to complete that by the middle of July.
"I thought it was right to start by helping the people who need help now as that's obviously critical, and then any other detentions."
He promised those affected by the scandal compensation "although that does not make up for what has happened".
But Mr Bryan told Sky News he was not satisfied because he wants to know how much compensation he will get and he needs it now as he has bailiffs knocking on his door and has had to borrow money from friends to pay for legal costs.
He said his questions were not answered by Mr Javid and Mr Williams.