According to the most recent figures, there are approximately 594,825 Black African-Caribbean people in England and Wales, making up 1.1% of the total population (Office for National Statistics, 2011). The UK African-Caribbean population includes migrants originating from various Caribbean islands. However, many of these migrants in the UK have experienced differentiated experiences in health and wellbeing since their migration from the West Indies. Immigration policies, experiences of marginalisation and racism, and inequalities in access to healthcare have contributed to their poorer health outcomes. The UK hostile environment policy, in particular, has created an atmosphere of fear among these individuals and has deterred some from seeking healthcare (NHS England, 2019; Weller et al, 2019). Beyond this, those who have moved from the West Indies, have – and continue to be impacted by – experiences of racism, marginalisation and fragile citizenship or uncertain residency status; these have impacted significantly on their health and wellbeing and that of their family members (Chouhan and Nazroo, 2020).

This chapter draws on research that explores the existing impact of migration and uncertain residency on the health and wellbeing of African-Caribbean heritage communities. The chapter outlines how participants of African-Caribbean heritage experience their health, wellbeing and healthcare access since their arrival in the UK and during periods of fragile and uncertain citizenship.

This chapter also includes an exploration of the risks for the wellbeing of existing residents whose migrant status has become uncertain. Life storytelling methods are utilised, to produce bibliographic accounts of the participants who moved to the UK at any time from the 1940s to the present day, or whose immediate family did so. Methods for developing and building sustained partnerships between migrant community members and researchers are also discussed. Specifically, the chapter draws attention to the ways in which future research can be delivered in collaboration with BME migrants, to understand their migration journeys.

The ‘Windrush generation’ and migration from the West Indies

The ‘Windrush group’ or ‘Windrush generation’ are terms commonly used to refer to a group of African-Caribbean people and their descendants who migrated from the West Indies from the 1940s.