A grandmother and long-term UK resident was forced into a heartbreaking exile to St Lucia after the Home Office threatened her with detention and removal, in a devastating new case that exposes the ongoing failures of the Windrush scandal.
Charlotte Duncker, 64, had lived legally in Britain for 57 years after arriving from St Lucia as a young child. Despite this, she was relentlessly pursued by the Home Office, which refused to acknowledge her right to remain and demanded she prove her immigration status.
Her life in the UK was systematically dismantled. Barred from working, denied access to vital public services, and stripped of her pension, Ms. Duncker was left destitute and terrified. The constant threat of being detained and removed to a country she hadn't known since childhood became unbearable.
"I was scared they would come and take me away," Ms. Duncker revealed. The psychological toll was immense, culminating in the devastating decision to voluntarily leave her family, friends, and life in Britain to escape the Home Office's persecution.
Her case is a damning indictment of the government's "hostile environment" policy. Despite promises to resolve the Windrush injustices, the Home Office's actions show a continuing pattern of mistreating long-settled Commonwealth citizens.
Now in St Lucia, Ms. Duncker lives in a state of limbo, separated from her loved ones. Her story raises urgent questions about how many others are still suffering in silence and whether the government's compensation scheme is truly reaching those it was designed to help.
