The Home Secretary Priti Patel has promised a full evaluation of what she described as the “hostile environment” policy yesterday as she promised a compassionate Home Office after the Windrush scandal.
Home Office officials will attend reconciliation meetings with victims of the scandal and undergo mandatory training in the history of race and migration as recommended by a review into the controversy.
The home secretary told MPs that her department must do better in recruiting ethnic-minority officials into senior posts as often hers was the only non-white face at meetings.
“What happened to the Windrush generation is unspeakable and no one with a legal right to be here should ever have been penalised,” Ms Patel said.
“I have tasked my officials to undertake a full evaluation of the compliant environment policy and measures, individually and cumulatively, to make sure the crucial balance is right.
“I have asked them to evaluate the changes that were made to immigration and nationality laws over successive governments to ensure that they are fit for purpose for today’s world.”
Patel announced that mandatory training would be introduced for new and existing Home Office staff “to ensure that everyone working in the department understands and appreciates the history of migration and race in this country”.
“Every single existing or new member of Home Office staff will be required to undertake that learning,” she said.
She also announced further action saying: “More diverse shortlists for senior jobs, specialist mentoring and sponsorship programmes to help develop a wider pool of talent and drive cultural change” in the Home Office.
“There are simply not enough black, Asian or minority ethnic staff working at the top in senior roles, and there are far too many times when I am the only non-white face in the room,” she said.
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