Making history?

As we start Black History Month today, I thought you might find this amusing...

I have lived in the UK completely legally for over 48 years, with all the correct paperwork in order. Long before I married a British man and had British children, I had almost the same rights as a British citizen and always paid my taxes, etc - all I can't do is vote or join the armed forces or police. For many years there was no such thing as 'dual citizenship', then when there was, it didn't really seem to be necessary. I'm now in the process of applying for British citizenship but it's long-winded and costly.

Three years ago I had to swap my permanent residency letter for a plastic biometric residence permit card. It should have been as easy as when paper driving licences were replaced by cards but I had to fill in a big form, pay £250, bring a file with my whole life in it to an interview at the Home Office and was allocated a 'case worker'. No-one was disputing that I already had the right to live and work here, it was just that, I guess, they had to be able to tick the right boxes on their computer. Even the lady who interviewed me said it shouldn't have been necessary... and she made me laugh, as we were in the midst of the 'Trump-era' and she said I probably had a good case for claiming asylum. 

Many years ago I taught in the local Afro-Caribbean Club and my students used to joke that they were convinced I was actually black (apparently the main criteria was liking reggae music and having been to Africa?). It was certainly good fun and when I left to have my daughter, they all clubbed together to get me some Mothercare vouchers and their lovely card made me cry.

Fast-forward back to three years ago and you can imagine my amazement when I got this letter informing me that my biometric card application had all gone through fine... but it seems my situation was quite unusual and they didn't actually have a category for me so I am, officially, a 'Windrush child'!

I've often wished I could show this to my old students, they would have loved it!