A free legal advice service is being offered in a new scheme.

One of the UK’s largest legal advice centres, run by the School of Law at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) has invested £2.6 million in premises in Liverpool. LJMU partnered with a grassroots organisation, Liverpool Advocates for Windrush (LAFW) to offer Windrush communities in the North West of England free legal advice.

Many people from the Windrush generation and their descendants found themselves in a position where their immigration status is in doubt due to UK Home Office rules implemented to create a "hostile environment", impacting mainly people from the Caribbean. LAFW believe thousands of people across Merseyside are entitled to justice and compensation under a scheme set up by the Home Office.

Rachel Stalker, from LJMU’s School of Law, said: “We’re offering free, transparent and professional support to the Windrush community in the North-West who need help in applying for compensation through the government scheme, or assistance with ongoing applications. In some cases, four or five generations of a single family can be affected".

A spokesperson for LAFW said: “Windrush is a British scandal and needs to be rectified by British society. These people are still facing grave uncertainties because of historic pieces of immigration legislation enacted to affect minorities.

“It's despicable and needs to be repealed, with fairer laws. We've seen how British society supports similar injustices, such as the post-office scandal and the blood scandal. Why is the same support not being afforded to the Windrush Scandal?"

The Windrush generation migrated to the UK from Commonwealth countries between 1948 and 1973. They take their name from the ship HMT Empire Windrush which brought the first immigrants who docked at Tilbury on June 21, 1948.

Established in 2023, LAFW is a voluntary organisation working to address injustices caused by ’hostile’ government policies, various government acts of law since 2006, and later accelerated by then Home Secretary Theresa May. In 2012, then-Home Secretary Theresa May said: "The aim is to create, here in Britain, a really hostile environment for illegal immigrants".

From 2014 thousands of people from the Windrush generation couldn’t access NHS healthcare, benefits, pensions and work and as a result of the policies and failings many also lost their jobs and homes. It came to light that documentation in the form of landing cards were destroyed by the Home Office.

These cards would have proved their legal arrival and right to stay in the UK. It's since been dubbed the Windrush Scandal and resulted in people being deported, some of whom had been in the UK over 50 years.

The School of Law will focus their guidance on legal status, compensation claims, application processing for individuals in the UK and abroad, and trauma informed care, due to many having suffered psychologically, from the uncertainties of their status, losing their homes, jobs and access to health care.

The Law School is also where individuals and businesses can access initial advice and guidance on family, disputes, commercial matters and much more. Their building on Hardman Street opened in 2022, and houses the legal centre where the advice is conducted by law students, under supervision.

The LAFW spokesperson concluded: “We're humbled to aid those affected and call on the British society and Government, to right this historic injustice and end the discriminatory practices.

Anyone who arrived between 1973 and 31 December 1988 from the rest of the world, are eligible to apply to the compensation scheme. The Home Office recently updated the scheme to include anyone arriving after 1988, (under 18-years-old) to join families with settled status.

For information on LAFW visit HERE and LJMU School of Law HERE