PUYO Julia,journalist from History Magazine

(1°08)

Did the Windrush and therefore the migration has been an emblem of
revivification within the Britain ?

In honor of the date coming back shortly, the government has set nowadays to celebrate « the
Windrush day »
This event has marked the history of the Kingdom in lot of positives ways.
So we can ask ourselves : how did they contributed to create the Britain evolution and why it's
necessary celebrate this day ?

As a reminder,70 years past, on twenty-one June 1948, the previous German liner HMT Empire
Windrush arrived within the UK at Tilbury Docks, county carrying 492 passengers from the West
Indies.
The journey to Britain value £28 for travel on the troop deck (around £1,000 today) and £48 for
accommodation travel.
In the main former service personnel, this was the primary wave of post-war immigration.

Enticed by the prospect of long-run job opportunities and prosperity, Caribbean men and ladies
crossed the Atlantic in response to adverts for add a shot to tackle Britain’s labor shortage crisis. By
1956, more than 40,000 immigrants from the West Indies had moved to Britain.

New immigration rules were introduced within the intervening years, before the Immigration Act
1971 modified the law to grant only temporary residence to the public coming back from
Commonwealth countries.
However, folks born in Commonwealth countries (and their wives and children) UN agency settled
within the GB before 1973 were still allowed to stay in the UK.

Those who were born within the Caribbean and who settled in the Great Britain between 1948 and
1971 are typically mentioned as the ‘Windrush generation’, when the Empire Windrush transported
the primary migrants.
They have been affected by loads of discrimination in spite of their unbelievable help to rebuilding
the society.
All of this, is why, for me, the Windrush Day is an important event and should have been done
before.

Puyo Julia,journalist for History Magazine

20/03/20