KINGSTON, Jamaica — The United Kingdom is to formally apologise to 18 members of the Windrush generation who it is believed could have been wrongfully removed or detained.

According to a statement from the UK government, the 18 people were identified during a review of removals, detentions and compliant environment measures affecting Caribbean nationals, of whom 11 went on to voluntarily leave Britain while the remaining seven were detained but subsequently released without being removed.

The Home Office said it has already contacted 14 of the 18 people and will continue its efforts to reach out to the remaining four to put them in contact with a taskforce which was formed after the scandal broke.

“Any who are not in the UK will be given the option to return, with support from the taskforce if needed. They will also be guided to the compensation scheme once it has been established. The scheme will be open to those who have suffered loss or difficulty as a result of not being able to prove their status in the UK,” the statement added.

The so-called Windrush generation, named after the ship that brought over the first group of West Indian immigrants in 1948, were invited to work in Britain after World War II.

They received indefinite leave to remain, but many who later failed to get their papers in order were targeted by immigration laws intended to create a “hostile environment” for illegal immigrants.

The UK’s latest commitment was made in a letter from Home Secretary Sajid Javid to the Home Affairs Select Committee providing an update on the support that has been provided through the Windrush Scheme and the progress of the historical reviews being carried out into detention, removals and compliant environment measures.

Javid said: “The experiences faced by some members of the Windrush generation are completely unacceptable and I am committed to righting the wrongs of the past.

“I would like to personally apologise to those identified in our review and am committed to providing them with the support and compensation they deserve.

“We must do everything we can to ensure that nothing like this happens again – which is why I have asked an independent adviser to look at what lessons we can learn from Windrush.”

The UK government said the ongoing review, which has looked at 11,800 historical detention and removal cases of non-foreign national offenders, also identified that 74 people were either detained or removed because they had lost their entitlement to stay in the UK after leaving for more than two years and a further 72 were detained temporarily at port but allowed to enter.

The task-force has helped 2,272 people to get the documentation they need to prove their existing right to be in the UK, the government disclosed.

It also confirmed that 1,465 people had been granted citizenship or documentation to prove their status under a formal Windrush Scheme.