A father-of-four who travelled to Bradford from Jamaica in 1969 has revealed how he resorted to begging on the city’s streets when he had to leave his job over an immigration wrangle.

Kenny Williams, of Curlew Street, on the Canterbury estate, Little Horton, was nine-years-old when he arrived at Heathrow Airport as part of the Windrush generation who emigrated from Commonwealth countries between 1948 and 1971.

The 58-year-old father of two sons and two daughters was classed as a British citizen when he arrived from the Commonwealth country, but he has been out of work since 2007 when he left his job because he did not have a passport.

The Windrush generation were granted leave to remain in the country for as long as they wanted when they arrived, but the Home Office did not keep a record of those given permission.

This has made proving citizenship difficult and Mr Williams, along with thousands of other immigrants, has faced a fight to put food on the table for his family as well as fearing deportation.

The Government has apologised to all of those put in this situation, but Mr Williams, who had to beg on Bradford’s streets for money and rely on handouts from his brother and sister, says the situation has had an impact on his health.

He admits the saga has left him feeling like a stranger in his home of the past five decades after changes to laws in 2012 made it harder for the Windrush generation.

“It’s disgusting and you feel worse than a dog – I had to go and beg people for food,” he said.

“Half the time there was no heating on in the house so I might as well have gone begging. If I didn’t go out and get the money then something might have happened to me. It’s something I didn’t want to do, but I had to or I might not have seen my children.

“You have to throw your pride away and do what you have to. I started off weighing 11 stone and now I weigh eight stone because of this.”

Mr Williams’ last job was for Incommunities, the biggest social housing landlord in Bradford, but he says he left when the company checked if he owned a passport.

He then faced difficulties claiming benefits and has since relied on strangers and his family for money.

He added: “The Government told me I couldn’t work and I couldn’t sign-on because I don’t have a passport.

“I couldn’t challenge this and didn’t know what to do.

“I was worried and frightened about what might happen.

“I think it’s horrible. I don’t feel comfortable living here like I used to and I don’t know what’s going to happen.

“If it’s possible, I want to get some compensation for the years I have been treated like this.”

Mr Williams is not the only member of his family to be affected by the saga.

His mother, Icilda, 84, travelled to Jamaica in 2014, but has not been allowed to return to her adopted homeland because she does not have a passport.

Despite being entitled to a passport, Mrs Williams had never applied for one and a change in the law in 2014 meant she could not prove how long she had spent in the UK.

Val Rowlands, an immigration officer at Girlington Advice and Training Centre, is helping Mr Williams to reclaim some of the Jobseekers Allowance he is entitled to.

She said: “When he came here there was no time limit on how long they could stay.

“The Immigration Act of 1971 gave all Commonwealth citizens the right to stay in this country.

“They didn’t have to have a card.

“Many travelled here on colonial passports and were told they were fine to stay until they started being refused NHS treatment and Job Seekers Allowance.

“This is a hostile environment created by successive Home Secretaries.

“Landlords are now required to check whether their prospective tenants have the right to reside in the UK but they are not immigration experts.

“The Home Office issued guidelines, but we have seen the damage this has caused to people’s lives.

“There’s a lot of hurt that comes with being told you don’t belong here.”

Home Secretary Amber Rudd has come under increasing pressure over the Windrush scandal and has apologised to those involved for the impact it has had on their lives.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: “The Home Secretary has been clear, this is about people who have built their lives here in the UK and contributed so much to our society. We don’t want them to feel unwelcome or to be in any doubt about their right to remain here and she has apologised unreservedly for any distress caused.

“Mr Williams was given documentation proving his right to live and work in the UK in 2017.

“Under the scheme announced by the Home Secretary on Monday, he will be eligible to apply for British citizenship, with the fee waived and no requirement to sit the Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK tests, should he wish to.

“We have said that where people have suffered loss they will be compensated and we will be setting up a new compensation scheme that will be run by an independent person.”

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