Paulette Wilson facts for kids

Paulette Wilson (born March 20, 1956 – died July 23, 2020) was a British activist who worked for the rights of immigrants. She became well-known for fighting against her own deportation to Jamaica. Her story helped bring attention to the unfair treatment of people during the Windrush scandal.

Her Life and Fight for Justice

Early Life in Britain

Paulette Wilson was born in Jamaica in 1956. When she was 10 years old, her mother sent her to live in Britain. She grew up with her grandparents in Wellington, Telford. Paulette went to school in Britain and later worked as a cook. She even worked at the restaurant in the House of Commons, which is where the British Parliament meets. For 34 years, she lived in Britain, raised her family, and paid her taxes.

Facing Deportation

In 2015, Paulette received shocking news from the government. They told her she was an illegal immigrant and had to leave the UK. This was very confusing because she had lived in Britain for 50 years. Because of this, she lost her housing and healthcare benefits. She became homeless and was not allowed to work.

By 2017, Paulette was almost deported. She hadn't been back to Jamaica in half a century. She was arrested twice and held in places like Yarl's Wood Detention Centre. In October 2017, she was sent to a deportation center at Heathrow Airport. Luckily, a group called the Refugee and Migrant Centre in Wolverhampton helped her. They convinced her local Member of Parliament (MP), Emma Reynolds, to stop the deportation at the last minute. This gave Paulette more time to appeal to the Home Office, which is the government department in charge of immigration.

Understanding the Windrush Scandal

Paulette's situation was part of a bigger problem known as the Windrush scandal. Many people like her, who came to Britain from the Caribbean and other British colonies after World War II, were British citizens when they arrived. This was under the rules of the British Nationality Act 1948. Children often came to the UK legally on their parents' passports. However, they weren't given special proof of their legal status later on.

In 1971, these people were given "indefinite leave to remain," meaning they could live in the UK permanently. But in 2012, new immigration laws were made. These laws required people to prove their right to live in the UK to work, find housing, or get benefits like healthcare. Many people from the Windrush generation didn't have the paperwork to prove they had lived in the UK for so long.

Paulette's Fight and Victory

Paulette's story was shared in the news. Her fight with the Home Office helped show how unfair the 2012 policies were. These policies were put in place by Theresa May when she was the Home Secretary. The Windrush scandal involved about 164 people who were wrongly detained or deported by the British government. Many others were threatened with deportation.

With help from a social worker from the Refugee and Migrant Centre, Paulette gathered documents to prove she had lived in England for 50 years. In 2018, she was officially granted permission to stay in the UK.

Helping Others and Her Legacy

After winning her own case, Paulette didn't stop there. She became an activist, campaigning for the rights of other immigrants facing similar problems. In 2019, a documentary by The Guardian newspaper featured Paulette's story and the stories of other Windrush victims. In June 2020, Paulette and other activists delivered a petition with 130,000 signatures to Downing Street. They asked the government to fix the problems and pay money to the victims of the scandal.

Paulette Wilson passed away on July 23, 2020, in Wolverhampton. Her brave decision to share her story with the public was very important. It helped show the government's mistakes in how it handled immigration policies.

In 2021, a special plaque was placed in her memory at the Wolverhampton Heritage Centre. This plaque was put there because of a campaign led by Patrick Vernon, Claire Darke, Paulette's family, and the center. The center is a very important place for the local Caribbean community.

See Also

• Windrush generation – This is the name for people who moved to Britain from the Caribbean after World War II.
• Sitting in Limbo – A BBC TV show that tells the story of Anthony Bryan, another person affected by the unfair immigration policies.