To the politicians who presided over a long-term policy to use every means possible to reject and eject as many people from the UK, regardless of extenuating circumstances or status (up to and including whether they came to the country as British subjects or citizens), the Windrush scandal appears to be an aberration. Amber Rudd called the treatment “appalling”, as if she had no responsibility for it as the current home secretary. Caroline Nokes, the immigration minister, revealed that there had been deportations but that she did not know how many, and that the situation “as a minister” had “appalled” her.
Theresa May, in her apology to Caribbean leaders, described the violations as simply unforeseen fallout from recently introduced policies that clamped down on the undocumented. Yet in her six years as home secretary she was the high priestess of hostile environments for immigrants. But the prime minister and Tory MPs and advisers have been falling over themselves on social media to appear shocked and to abhor what has been happening. It is a roll call of the shameless and brazenly amnesiac.