Fewer than one in 20 Windrush compensation claimants have received compensation - Diane Abbott responds

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to new migration statistics showing that fewer than one in 20 Windrush compensation claimants have received compensation, said:

“The government is failing the Windrush victims, both in terms of the number of people it is reaching and the level of pay-outs for lives disrupted or destroyed.  One factor is almost certainly fear among the victims that they can still be wrongfully targeted because of the government’s ‘hostile environment’ policy. This is a further reason it should be scrapped.”

Ends

Notes to editors

Figures released today show there have been 1108 applications to the Windrush compensation scheme, but only £67,722.78 has been paid out in relation to 51 claims, potentially representing fewer than 51 claimants. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/windrush-compensation-scheme-data-february-2020