it is absolutely right that across this house we should all be absolutely clear in our determination to ensure that we stamp out racism in every form. let me set out to the house the action that has been taken. my right hon. friend the home secretary made very clear the offering in her statement to the house that those who came here before 1 january 1973 from commonwealth countries—this is from commonwealth countries as a whole—will be offered citizenship status without paying the fee and without taking the knowledge of language and “life in the uk” test. the children of the windrush generation who are in the uk will in most cases be british citizens already, but where that is not the case, they will be able to apply to naturalise at no further cost.  we are also taking action in relation to those who made their life here but retired to their country of origin and have found it difficult or impossible to return to the uk. we will work with high commissions to make sure that they can easily access the offer of formal british citizenship, because the windrush generation are british; they are part of us. there will be a compensation scheme, the details of which my right hon. friend will set out in due course, but i think everybody will see that the action the government have taken is because we know the windrush generation—[interruption.] the labour front benchers shake their heads and go, “oh no!” the windrush generation are british, they are part of us, and we will ensure that.
wednesday 25 april 2018