Marking the 75th anniversary of Windrush arrival

Communities across the region are commemorating the 75th anniversary of the arrival in 1948 of HMT Empire Windrush.

It was one of the first ships to carry West Indian migrants to Great Britain during the post-war period to help the country rebuild.

The annual flag raising took place outside City Hall in Bristol on Thursday morning.

A series of events will continue throughout the day.

In Bath, there is a celebration at Fairfield House with a grand opening of a new exhibition telling the stories of the city's Windrush migrants.

In their speeches, the Bristol mayor and deputy mayor said the celebrations were bittersweet due to the ongoing Windrush Scandal in which thousands of people were wrongly classed as illegal immigrants.

"It's 2023 and people are still waiting for their compensation," said deputy mayor councillor Asher Craig.

The Home Office said it had already paid £72m in compensation to those affected by the scandal.

Statistics from the Home Office show that more than 66% of claims have had a final decision, external.

Two weeks after the HMT Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks in 1948, the NHS was formed.

"Windrush and the NHS are forever entwined," said Councillor Craig.

"My parents were invited here. My mother worked in the NHS until she passed away.

Speaking about the ongoing Windrush scandal, she said: "I'm so glad that my parents didn't live long enough to see what has happened to their friends and family."

The Lord Lieutenant of Bristol, Peaches Golding, paid tribute to the Windrush generation.

"We have people from all walks of life that are represented from that Windrush generation and we've got the food, the culture," said Ms Golding, the King's representative in Bristol.

"We have all sorts of things that have enriched our society, that are part of being British that the Windrush generation have contributed to.

"We should be very proud."

In response to the ongoing Windrush scandal, a Home Office spokesperson said: "The whole of government is committed to righting the wrongs of Windrush.

"Already we have paid or offered more than £72m in compensation to those affected but we know there is more to do.

"We continue to reach out to communities so that everyone who may be eligible for the scheme has the support they need to apply.

"We continue to work tirelessly to make sure such an injustice is never repeated and that the government is worthy of the communities it serves."

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