Paulette Wilson: Windrush campaigner who was wrongly detained after 50 years in Britain dies aged 64

A Windrush campaigner who was wrongly detained and almost deported after living in the UK for 50 years has died aged 64.

Paulette Wilson, who arrived in the UK at the age of 10 to join her grandparents, was one of thousands of people treated as illegal immigrants despite being lawfully in the country for decades, in what has come to be known as the Windrush scandal.

The Jamaican national’s daughter, Natalie Barnes, found her mother on Thursday morning. She appeared to have died in her sleep and her death was unexpected.

“My mum was a fighter and she was ready to fight for anyone. She was an inspiration to many people. She was my heart and my soul and I loved her to pieces," Ms Barnes said in a statement.

Ms Wilson went to primary and secondary school in Britain and worked as a chef for most of her life, including in the House of Commons restaurant.

In 2016, she received a letter stating that she was in the country illegally and that she must take immediate steps to return to Jamaica, a country she had not visited in half a century.

She was arrested twice and spent time in Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre, before being transferred to another detention centre in Heathrow in 2017, ahead of a flight to Kingston.

This was despite her having submitted 35 years of national insurance records, as well as medical records and evidence.

It was only when her MP, Emma Reynolds, and the Refugee and Migrant Centre in Wolverhampton made a last-minute intervention by that her deportation was prevented.

Ms Wilson had written a letter to the government stating: “Please help me, this is my home”, and she later said the situation had put her through “the worst heartache anyone could go through”.

The Jamaican national was one of the first individuals who came forward and spoke about her case to the media – a decision which encouraged dozens of others to do the same and culminated in a national scandal which led to the resignation of the then home secretary Amber Rudd.

The fiasco brought into sharp focus the “hostile environment” immigration policy brought in formally under Theresa May, which led to many members of the Windrush generation being wrongly denied healthcare, sacked from their jobs or evicted from their homes.

Responding to the news of Ms Wilson's death, David Lammy, Labour's shadow justice secretary, who has been vocal about the Windrush scandal, said: “It breaks my heart that Paulette Wilson has died.

“She fought her battle for justice over the Windrush scandal with dignity, purpose and incredible force. She deserves our thanks because her fight was always on behalf of others not just herself.”

Jacquline McKenzie, a lawyer who has represented many Windrush victims, said she was “saddened” to hear of Ms Wilson’s death, adding” “Paulette took on the fight for justice for others. May she rest in peace.”

Satbir Singh, chief executive of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said he was "so sad" to hear about her death, adding: "When we met last month she was handing in a petition to Downing Street. I’ll never forget her words - ‘If they don’t know what’s wrong by now I don’t know if they ever will, but we have to try.’ Rest in Power, Paulette.”