Help us say goodbye to Anthony Williams

Anthony Williams was a survivor of the Windrush scandal. In 2013, after serving for over a decade in the British army, he was swept up in the "hostile environment", designed and enforced by British government through policies including 'Right to Work' checks. He was forced into destitution and solitude - barred from access to the NHS, he was forced to pull out his own teeth after developing a gum infection.

Anthony didn't take it lying down. In 2020, two years after the Home Office announced the Windrush Compensation Scheme ("WCS") to provide redress to those it disenfranchised, and in some cases displaced, he became a founding member of Windrush Lives. Together with a group of other victims and volunteers, he helped lead the charge to remove the WCS from Home Office control.

He summoned immense courage to do so. He had lived largely in the shadows as a result of enforced unemployment and the ever-present spectre of deportation. Like many others, he was at first reluctant to draw attention to his story because of the stigma, and the fear of even greater harassment by the Home Office.

Anthony ultimately accepted a settlement from the WCS in late 2021 after a senselessly protracted fight that lasted nearly 3 years. That included a biased and opaque "appeal" process - run entirely by the same government which has targeted, then failed Windrush victims time and time again. By the time that resolution came, the damage was done - scarred by years of futile struggle against the establishment, he moved back to Jamaica. He had last lived there at the age of 7; at 58, he was hopeful of a fresh start.

On 29 March 2024, Anthony died in hospital near St Thomas. He is thought to have died of liver cancer. His closest family and friends had no idea he was sick. He had remained part of Windrush Lives after relocating to his country of birth - just a few weeks prior, he had sent messages to the group bearing no indication that anything was wrong.

Anthony is survived by his nephew, Gavin, who is preparing to fly out to Jamaica to organise his funeral and deal with final arrangements. This entails immediate expenses, which are likely to include the cost of advice and assistance in navigating administrative and legal matters. We are asking for your help with these costs, which are significant and exceed the capacity of those who survive him.

Anthony gave selflessly. He pushed past the trauma of his experience and told his story to help force change for others, including giving detailed evidence to members of Parliament. That in part led to the Home Affairs Select Committee's recommendation that the WCS be removed from the Home Office and made independent. He gave myriad interviews to raise awareness of the Home Office's failings and supported others in his position with a level of engagement and compassion that would have been beaten out of most who suffered as he had.

His life mattered. Help us honour his legacy and give him the send-off he deserves.

Update - 16 April 2024

Thank you to everyone who has shared and donated so far - your support means everything to us.

The funds raised in this appeal are intended to cover:

We would like to be clear that the funds are at present intended strictly for the purposes set out above. If there are further unanticipated costs or categories of expense, this page will be updated to draw attention to them at the earliest opportunity.

All donations exceeding what is required for these purposes will be forwarded to the Windrush Justice Clinic, a pro-bono legal advice clinic administered by organisations including the University of Westminster, London South Bank University, King's College London, Southwark Law Centre, North Kensington Law Centre, the Claudia Jones Organisation, the Windrush Compensation Project, and the Jigsaw House Society.

Anthony was a passionate supporter of this project from its earliest days, which provides free assistance with claims and appeals to the Windrush Compensation Scheme. We feel he would wholeheartedly approve of this. Therefore, if you have been affected by his story, and have the ability to do so, we ask you to donate in support of the many, many victims who are still fighting for justice.

Ramya Jaidev, co-founder of Windrush Lives