Lammy Condemns UK Treatment of Turkish Residents, Invokes Windrush Scandal
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MENAFN"The Home Office's treatment of Turkish businesspeople applying for ILR (indefinite leave to remain) through the Ankara Agreement is outrageous and reminiscent of the Windrush Scandal," Lammy wrote on US social media platform X.
"Callous and careless mistakes are being made with devastating impacts. The Home Office must act now," he added.
The former foreign secretary's comments came after reports highlighted a substantial rise in rejected applications for indefinite leave to remain submitted by Turkish nationals residing in Britain under European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) visas.
Hundreds of Turkish applicants have reportedly been refused permanent residency since the start of 2026, marking a significant decline in successful applications compared with previous years, when several thousand cases received approval annually. The number of successful applicants has now dropped to only a few hundred.
Several cases have also raised concerns over alleged administrative shortcomings and the introduction of conditions that are not stipulated in the UK's immigration regulations. Consequently, some Turkish nationals have reportedly faced the prospect of deportation despite having established commercial activities, professional commitments and family lives in the country.
Administrative review requests have also increased considerably, according to official figures obtained through a freedom of information request. The number climbed from 145 cases throughout 2025 to 395 between January and mid-August 2026, highlighting the growing difficulties surrounding the residency application process.
Despite the mounting criticism, the Home Office has maintained that the immigration regulations applicable to these applications remain unchanged.
The controversy has drawn comparisons with the Windrush scandal, one of Britain's most significant immigration crises, which came to light in 2018 after authorities were found to have incorrectly treated people who had legally lived in the country for decades as undocumented immigrants.
Those affected largely belonged to the Windrush generation, referring to individuals who migrated from Caribbean countries to Britain between 1948 and 1973, frequently arriving as children to establish their lives and pursue employment. The scandal exposed serious administrative failures that left many long-term residents facing detention, deportation and the loss of their legal rights.
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