The Empire Windrush arrived at the port of Tilbury on 22 June 1948, carrying 492 passengers from Jamaica wishing to start a new life in the United Kingdom. The passengers (including one stowaway) were the first large group of West Indian immigrants to the UK after the Second World War.

In 1948, the Empire Windrush was en route from Australia to England via the Atlantic, docking in Kingston, Jamaica. An advert had appeared in a Jamaican newspaper offering cheap transport on the ship for anybody who wanted to come and work in the UK. At that time, there were no immigration restrictions for citizens of one part of the British Empire moving to another part.

The arrivals were temporarily housed in a World war 2 bomb shelter in south-west London. Many only intended to stay for a few years, but the majority remained to settle permanently.

The video below is not of the Empire Windrush, but shows West Indian students in Britain. It was produced by the Colonial Office and widely shown in the colonies.