In The Press

Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ legal victory in the case of Winston Knight, a member of the Windrush generation unlawfully deported to Jamaica in 2013, has received widespread media attention, including prominent coverage by The Guardian and WIC News.

On 15 May 2025, just hours before a scheduled judicial review hearing, the Home Secretary formally conceded that Mr Knight’s deportation was unlawful and agreed to facilitate his urgent return to the UK. This critical admission came only after years of persistent legal challenges led by Duncan Lewis on Mr Knight’s behalf.

A Decade of Injustice

Mr Knight, now 64, first arrived in the UK from Jamaica in 1966 at the age of six. Like many others in the Windrush generation, he was granted indefinite leave to remain under the Immigration Act 1971. He lived in London for 47 uninterrupted years before being forcibly removed in 2013.

Deported to Jamaica, a country he barely remembered, Knight was left destitute, homeless, and exposed to extreme violence on the streets of Kingston for over a decade. Mr Knight had first shared his story with The Guardian in 2018 under a pseudonym. Years later, his determination, paired with Duncan Lewis’ unwavering efforts have finally secured justice.

Speaking to The Guardian from Jamaica, he said:

“I’m doing much better now I know I have won my case and will be returning to the UK. But I am coming from hell. I have been living in a war zone in Kingston and I’ve had some very tough days.”

He described surviving on scraps from street markets, enduring abuse for being labelled a “deportee,” and witnessing daily violence. “For the first time since I was deported here, I’m sleeping in a bed,” he told The Guardian, after being placed in a hotel while awaiting return.

The Legal Challenge

On 29 December 2023 we made urgent representations to the Home Secretary demanding revocation of Mr Knight’s deportation order and his immediate return to the UK. Following significant delay, the Home Secretary refused our request on 23 August 2024. Mr Knight subsequently brought judicial review proceedings to challenge the Home Secretary’s decision.

The claim argued that:

1. As a Citizen of the UK and Colonies resident before 1973, Mr Knight was exempt from deportation (Immigration Act 1971, s. 7);
2. The Home Office ignored the acute evidential obstacles faced by Windrush citizens; and
3. Continuing exclusion breached Mr Knight’s Articles 8 and 14 ECHR rights (private/family life and anti-discrimination).

The Upper Tribunal granted permission to proceed with the judicial review challenge on 7 March 2025. Hours before the final hearing, on 15 May 2025, the Home Secretary conceded that Mr Knight is a member of the Windrush generation, that his deportation and exclusion from the UK since 2013 were unlawful, and agreed to arrange entry clearance and his urgent return to the UK.

Nina Kamp, Consultant Solicitor at Duncan Lewis Solicitors who represented Mr Knight said:

“The Home Secretary’s concession vindicates what Mr Knight has insisted for over a decade: he is a member of the Windrush generation, and his exclusion from the UK since 2013 was unlawful. This admission—forced only after judicial review proceedings and hours before the final hearing—comes far too late. Mr Knight has suffered unimaginable harm being homeless in an extremely volatile environment for over a decade with no support. The physical and psychological toll is profound and will take years to repair. Astonishingly, the Home Secretary has still offered him no apology for the historic wrong her department inflicted.”

The Home Secretary has offered no apology or recognition of the profound harm caused.

You can read the full Guardian article here: UK agrees to fly home wrongly deported Windrush generation man from Jamaica

More Media Coverage:

UK Home Office admits error: Wrongly deported Winston Knight to return from Jamaica after 12 years

Government concedes unlawful Windrush deportation: Winston Knight to return after 12 years of destitution

Legal Team

Mr Knight is represented by Consultant Solicitor Nina Kamp and Caseworker Albert Cammack of Duncan Lewis Solicitors.

Duncan Lewis Solicitors

Duncan Lewis has the leading public law and immigration practice in the UK. The team frequently takes on and successfully brings challenges in some of the most high profile cases in the UK, including in relation to the Rwanda plan and Manston House. The company was crowned Law Firm of the Year 2024 at the LexisNexis awards, and noted for its commitment to providing justice for all.

Duncan Lewis is renowned for its exceptional legal services and commitment to justice. The company employs a team of highly skilled solicitors offering top-tier representation in 25 fields of law, and ranked as top tier by the Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500 legal guides, and as one of the top 250 law firms in the country by the Times.