BRIXTON — The Windrush Justice Community Collective and approximately 70 public figures are calling for the Windrush compensation scheme to be moved out of Home Office control. These groups are urging the prime minister and home secretary to establish an independent body, overseen by a judge or commissioner, to manage the scheme.

The collective's demands follow reports from April indicating that the Home Office refused over half of the compensation claims submitted by survivors. Independent Windrush commissioner Clive Foster advised Members of Parliament that survivors need legal support to reduce the number of payout denials. "The decision to make the Home Office responsible for delivering compensation to people affected by mistakes made by staff in the same department was misguided." Foster said.

The collective also demands a statutory public inquiry into the Windrush scandal and non-means-tested free legal assistance for claimants. Furthermore, the collective seeks to ensure survivors receive their choice of citizenship or indefinite leave to remain. "Some cases initially turned down by the Home Office were reconsidered and compensation awarded when solicitors filed the same cases." Foster said.

Research by Justice and Dechert LLP showed examples of compensation offers increasing after legal representation was obtained. One claimant's offer reportedly rose from £0 to £295,000, and another's increased from £300 to £170,000. "The Home Office continues to harm Black and Asian British citizens." The collective said. An average payout of £32,100 has been reported for successful Windrush claims by the National Audit Office.

Groups Grenfell United and Hillsborough Justice sent a joint letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood last month, supporting the collective's demands. The letter stated: "Over 60 people have already died waiting for compensation." It added: "Our communities know too well the pain of state betrayal." The groups wrote: "We have fought for decades against cover-ups, institutional defensiveness, and a culture that prioritises protecting the government over repairing the harm done to innocent people."

An event hosted by the collective is scheduled for Friday at the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton. Scheduled speakers at the event include Black Cultural Archives chief executive Wanda Wyporska, Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, and survivor Thomas Tobierre.