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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 17 april 2018

UK sorry for 'appalling' treatment of Caribbean immigrants

By JILL LAWLESS
LONDON (AP) — The British
government apologized
Monday for its "appalling"
treatment of some immi-
grants from the Caribbean,
as reports of law-abiding
residents being threatened
with deportation overshad-
owed a London meeting of
leaders from the 53-nation
Commonwealth.
Britain wants to use this
week's summit of the al-
liance of the U.K. and its
former colonies to help Brit-
ain bolster trade and diplo-
matic ties around the world
after it leaves the European
Union. But anger over what
many see as the U.K.'s shab-
by treatment of residents of
Caribbean origin eclipsed
trade topics.
Members of the "Windrush
generation" — named for
the ship Empire Windrush,
which brought the first big Britain's Prince Harry, right and Prime Minister Theresa May attend a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Youth Forum
group of post-war Carib- in London, Monday, April 16, 2018.
bean immigrants to Britain Associated Press
in 1948 — came from what
were then British colonies or Britain. May's office said she would sioner Guy Hewitt told the uncertain mission in the 21st
newly independent states. David Lammy, a lawmaker meet with her Caribbean BBC on Monday that he felt century.
Those who arrived before with the opposition Labour counterparts at the Com- Britain was telling people Queen Elizabeth II, who
1971 had an automatic Party, demanded answers monwealth summit to dis- from the Caribbean, "You will formally open the
right to settle in the U.K. from the government Mon- cuss the situation. are no longer welcome." Commonwealth Heads of
But some from that genera- day, calling it "a day of na- The British government Some 140 U.K. lawmakers Government meeting at
tion, especially those who tional shame." has taken an increasingly signed a letter urging the Buckingham Palace on
arrived as children on their Home Secretary Amber tough line on immigration, government to find an "im- Thursday, has done much
parents' passports, say they Rudd said she was setting which has increased dra- mediate and effective" re- to unite the group. She has
have been denied medical up a task force to sort out matically over the last 10 or sponse to concerns from visited nearly every Com-
treatment or threatened the Caribbean immigrants' 15 years, largely as result of Commonwealth-born resi- monwealth nation, often
with deportation because paperwork simply and for people moving to the U.K. dents over their immigra- multiple times, during her
they can't produce papers free, and promised that no from other EU countries. tion status. 66-year reign.
to prove their status. one would be deported. A desire to control immigra- The Commonwealth links The 91-year-old has given
The Guardian newspaper "We have seen the individ- tion was a major factor for 2.4 billion people on five up long-distance travel, so
has reported on the mis- ual stories, and they have many voters who support- continents, from countries this is likely to be the last
treatment of people such been, some of them, terri- ed the 2016 referendum for such as vast India and Commonwealth summit
as former House of Com- ble to hear, and that is why Britain to leave the EU. wealthy Australia to small over which she presides.
mons cook Paulette Wil- I have acted," Rudd said. Critics say the British gov- island states like Tonga and Heir to the throne Prince
son, who moved to Britain "Frankly, some of the ways ernment has, by design or Vanuatu. Charles will not automati-
at age 10. She was sent to they have been treated accidentally, taken a hos- It espouses good gover- cally succeed her as head
an immigration detention has been wrong, has been tile attitude to the thou- nance, economic growth of the Commonwealth,
center last year after failing appalling and I am sorry," sands of people who have and human rights, but is which says the choice of its
to convince authorities she she said. made Britain their home. seen by some as a vestige next leader will be a deci-
had the right to remain in Prime Minister Theresa Barbados High Commis- of the British empire with an sion for the group.q