Without Paulette Wilson, Windrush may have remained hidden | Amelia Gentleman

Amelia Gentleman recalls the personality, experiences and battles of the leading campaigner

• Paulette Wilson dies aged 64
• A precious gem ... broken by the government'

In August 2015, Paulette Wilson received a letter telling her she faced deportation to a country she had left as a child nearly 50 years earlier. The 59-year-old grandmother, who had arrived in the UK legally in 1968, was frightened by the menacing tone of the letter.

You are specifically considered to be a person who has failed to provide evidence of lawful entry to the United Kingdom," it announced. Therefore you are liable for removal." This was followed by a warning in alarming capitals: LIABILITY FOR REMOVAL".