Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
British Citizen One Day, Illegal Immigrant the Next
Source: New York Times
British Citizen One Day, Illegal Immigrant the Next
By KIMIKO de FREYTAS-TAMURA APRIL 24, 2018
LONDON — Renford McIntyre was just a child when he left Jamaica to join his parents in Britain.
He spent the next 50 years here, working various jobs and paying taxes. Like tens of thousands of people from families encouraged to come from British colonies in the Caribbean to help rebuild postwar Britain, he had always assumed that he was a full-fledged British citizen.
Until, that is, the government decided he wasn’t. At the age of 60, he was declared an illegal immigrant. He lost his job. He could no longer apply for benefits. He became homeless.
“I’ve lost out on everything,” said Mr. McIntyre, who is now 64.
The issue has simmered in Britain since Theresa May was home secretary and set out to create a “really hostile environment” for illegal immigrants, imposing tough new requirements in 2012 for people to prove their legal status. But that was not easy for thousands of people like Mr. McIntyre, many of whom did not have British documents and whose parents came to Britain before the Caribbean colonies gained independence.
-snip-
By KIMIKO de FREYTAS-TAMURA APRIL 24, 2018
LONDON — Renford McIntyre was just a child when he left Jamaica to join his parents in Britain.
He spent the next 50 years here, working various jobs and paying taxes. Like tens of thousands of people from families encouraged to come from British colonies in the Caribbean to help rebuild postwar Britain, he had always assumed that he was a full-fledged British citizen.
Until, that is, the government decided he wasn’t. At the age of 60, he was declared an illegal immigrant. He lost his job. He could no longer apply for benefits. He became homeless.
“I’ve lost out on everything,” said Mr. McIntyre, who is now 64.
The issue has simmered in Britain since Theresa May was home secretary and set out to create a “really hostile environment” for illegal immigrants, imposing tough new requirements in 2012 for people to prove their legal status. But that was not easy for thousands of people like Mr. McIntyre, many of whom did not have British documents and whose parents came to Britain before the Caribbean colonies gained independence.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/24/world/europe/britain-windrush-immigrants.html
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
