Mother of Windrush citizen blames passport battle for son's death as Home Office deals with 113 cases

Theresa May 'should be ashamed of herself', says Sentina Bristol

The mother of a 57-year-old Windrush citizen who died suddenly three weeks ago has blamed the Home Office for his death, saying Theresa May should be “ashamed of herself”.

The case of Dexter Bristol, who moved from Grenada to the UK when he was eight in 1968, emerged as the Home Office revealed it was investigating the cases of 113 Windrush generation immigrants, a day after a helpline was set up.

Mr Bristol was fired from his cleaning job last year because he had no passport and was later denied benefits because he was not able to provide documents proving his right to live in the UK, Channel 4 news reported.

He reportedly spent the last year trying and failing to get documentation allowing him to work. On 31 March, he collapsed on the street outside his house and died. The cause of his death is unknown pending an inquest.

Mr Bristol’s mother, Sentina Bristol, described her son as a “quiet, thoughtful and intelligent man” who had become “very depressed".

His former lawyer, Jacqueline McKenzie, said Home Office delays in processing his requests for his records contributed to his depression and breached its own rules. “I’m heartbroken,” she told The Guardian. “We went to extreme lengths to try to get this sorted out.”

The Government has come under heavy fire for its treatment of Commonwealth nationals who came to the UK under a rule allowing freedom of movement between the 1940s and 1970s.

Despite having lived in the UK for decades, a number have begun to experience issues as a result of the Government’s “hostile environment” policies, which were introduced in 2014.

It has resulted in as many as 50,000 being left without documentation now needed to access work, housing, healthcare and other public services. Some are feared to have been deported in error.

David Lammy MP, who has been a lead campaigner on the issue, told The Independent: “Dexter Bristol and the tragedy of his story really brings home the human tragedy, that is the tremendous pressure that these Windrush children, the majority of whom are from low income backgrounds, have been under.

“Now the government must lower the burden of proof and just give all Windrush children an exemption to remain in the country.

“Jumping through evidence hoops is entirely unnecessary, particularly now we know that the Home Office destroyed all the landing cards – we need the exemption to bring this to a close.”

Mr Lammy said the Government should also now clearly explain how it plans to compensate Windrush children for the hardship they have suffered throughout the process – until now officials have only said that those affected can raise the issue of compensation with a new Home Office task force.

Asked if Ms Rudd should resign, Mr Lammy said: “In the past when the home secretary or the immigration minister lost control of the their department, the minister did the honourable thing and allowed a new minister to get on with the job.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Our condolences are with Mr Lewis’s family and friends at this clearly difficult time. Mr Lewis made no applications to the Home Office and was not the subject of any removal action, but we would urge his family to get in touch with us so that we can provide any assistance that is required.”