Colchester woman spoke in High Court at 13 to keep her dad in country

Stacey, now 25, was facing seeing her dad forced to leave the country after he was stuck in a deportation centre for 11 months.

While many other youngsters only had school and homework to worry about as a teenager, she had to stand up in court and explain why her dad should be able to stay. 

Difficult - Stacey Charles (Image: Stacey Charles)

Her dad Claudius Charles, 64, was born in Grenada in 1960 and moved to London in 1972 and then Colchester in 1992.

After he lost his job as a live-in carer, he was arrested in 2011 and jailed for 52 months after intending to supply class-A drugs.

As a member of the Windrush generation, he has been offered £153,000 in crime repayment compensation in accordance with the Windrush scandal scheme. 

The scandal revealed citizens of Commonwealth countries - who had an automatic right to settle in the UK until 1973 - had wrongly faced questions about those rights.

In 2020 the Government came under pressure to review its policy around deportation of Windrush citizens who later committed crimes.

A leaked report said “deportation should only be considered in the most severe cases.”

Family - Stacey bonding with her father, Claudius (Image: Stacey Charles)

For Stacey the constant fear her father could be put on a plane and sent away was terrifying. 

She said: "I was still a child in the country but the Home Office tried to argue that my dad hadn't had enough involvement in my life.

"I had to make a statement in court talking about how much my dad meant to me. 

"I was really struggling as I felt as if I was losing everyone in my life around me. 

"I was going through my own trouble but not having my dad around made it a lot harder.

"When I was 13, I was going to deportation centres and obviously didn't know what was going to happen to my dad - but I thought he was going to go away. 

"All throughout my teenage years I felt like it affected my life and my education."

Remembered - The National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station (Image: PA)

Claudius feels it is not enough to cover the trauma, homelessness and illegal activity he claims the Home Office committed. 

Stacey said: "I agree with the appeal, it's not enough money, especially because they offered 70 grand on the impact of life and the other 83k was for the deportation.

"My dad just doesn't believe it's enough. 

"I also focus a lot on the impact of life and I believe that £70,000 is not enough to cover that.

"He is still having to suffer these days. Not being able to apply for his British citizenship is still making his life difficult and has done so for the last 13 years.

"I don't believe it is an adequate sum."

Struggles - Claudius Charles (Image: Anne-Marie Charles) Claudius said: "It says if you are in Britain before January 1,1973, you are a British citizen.

"However, the Home Office refused that right on the grounds of my character.

“The government did not have the right to refuse my citizenship but they still are."

Stacey applied for close family member compensation today. 

The Home Office was contacted for comment.