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In a stunning revelation, the British government today reluctantly published the long-buried 52-page report titled “The Historical Roots of the Windrush Scandal”, exposing the deep-rooted racism in UK immigration policy from 1950 to 1981. The report was commissioned in 2020 but buried for over three years until a tribunal forced its release.

The independent review paints a damning picture of how every major piece of immigration and citizenship legislation during this period was designed to reduce the number of black and brown people permitted to live and work in the UK. This systemic racism, rooted in Britain’s colonial history, directly led to the infamous Windrush Scandal.

While the report was intended as an internal guide for Home Office staff, its suppression raises serious questions. The tribunal’s decision to force disclosure has reignited debates about ongoing racial discrimination within the Home Office. Have any lessons truly been learned, or is history doomed to repeat itself?