The Windrush generation refers to the thousands of people from Caribbean and other Commonwealth countries who arrived in the UK between 1948 and 1973, invited to help rebuild Britain after the Second World War. Named after the ship HMT Empire Windrush, which brought the first wave of migrants in 1948, these individuals made significant contributions to British society but faced systemic racism and discrimination.

In 2018, it emerged that many members of the Windrush generation and their descendants had been wrongly detained, denied legal rights, or even deported due to the UK government’s “hostile environment” policies. Despite having lived in the UK for decades, they were unable to prove their legal status, losing access to healthcare, employment, and housing. The scandal highlighted the injustices faced by Commonwealth citizens.