Richard Stewart was told in 2012 that he was in the UK illegally and needed to pay £1,200 to naturalise. Photograph: Jill Mead/The Guardian
Another prominent victim of the Windrush scandal has died without receiving compensation or a personal apology from the government, as campaigners warn those affected need more help to claim damages.
The former Middlesex bowler Richard Stewart had been waiting for his case to be resolved so he could travel back to Jamaica for the first time in half a century and visit his mother’s grave, but he died a week ago, aged 74.
His son, Wesley Stewart, said the cause of death was unknown, adding that his father had become stressed and depressed during the protracted process of attempting to sort out his paperwork and prove the government’s errors had caused him severe problems for years.
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He described his father as “a pioneer of cricket for the Windrush generation, and a gentleman”. Wesley said his father had never wanted to see Britain as a racist country, but his views had changed as a result of his treatment by the Home Office. “It was blatant discrimination. The government made him feel like: you’re black, you shouldn’t be here, full stop,” he said.
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