Almost 75 years ago, a large ship called the Empire Windrush pulled into the docks at TilburyA port town in Essex, England. in Essex. On board were a few hundred soldiers and 693 people who had come from the CaribbeanThe region made up of the Caribbean Sea and its islands, including the West Indies. to settle in the UK.

They knew the weather in their new home was bad. Otherwise they were not sure what to expect as they stepped on to British soil for the first time.

One thing none of them could have known was that they were about to change British society for good.

Now a new exhibition in London will celebrate the "Windrush generation" and its contributions to British life.

The Windrush generation started coming to the UK in the 1940s. During World War Two, much of Britain was devastated by air raidsAnd attack in which bombs are dropped on an area from the sky.. After the war, the UK government invited people in its Caribbean coloniesArea or countries under the control of another nation. to come and help rebuild "the Mother Country". In all, about 600,000 people answered the call.¹

They came for a wide variety of reasons. Many were hoping for better wages and opportunities. Others were living in poverty and needed a fresh start. Some faced discrimination or oppression in their own countries.

Things were not always better in Britain. They frequently faced racism. Although they had mostly been highly skilled workers in the Caribbean, in Britain they were given the dirtiest jobs with the lowest pay.

But most stayed on, despite the challenges. Through their efforts, Britain began to transform. As it became more multiculturalIncluding many different cultures or nationalities., it also became more open, more cosmopolitanHaving a worldwide outlook and taking an interest in many different cultures or ideas., more interested in the wider world.

Not everyone in Britain welcomed this change, however. And this gave rise to one of the biggest scandals in recent years.

When the Conservative PartyA British political party. Members are known as Tories. came to power in 2010 they imposed a policy called the "hostile environment". 

The idea was to make it as difficult as possible for migrants without leave to remainIn the UK, an immigration status in which somebody who is not a citizen of the UK has the right to stay and work in the country. There is a difference between limited and indefinite leave to remain. in the UK - so that they would give up and leave.

However, critics say it also affects migrants who do have the right to live in the UK. And among them were some of the Windrush generation.

As subjects of the British EmpireA group of countries that were once ruled or controlled by the UK, including Australia, Canada, India and large parts of Africa., migrants who were invited to Britain in the 1950s and 1960s had the legal right to live and work there.

But when their countries won independence, they became foreign citizens in the UK. The British government allowed them to stay, but it did not give them any papers to prove they still had the right to live there.

Under the hostile environment policy, however, all migrants had to provide documents proving their status in order to access housing, medical care, employment and social security.

Without these documents, many in the Windrush generation were denied vital services, and some were even deported to the Caribbean, where many had not set foot for decades.

The scandal rocked Britain and the new Home SecretaryIn Britain, they are responsible for national security, immigration and policing. , Amber Rudd, had to resign. But the hostile environment is still in place.

That is one reason why some think we should teach people more about the Windrush generation and how it made modern Britain.

Yes: Britain invited thousands of people to come, and then changed its policy and forced many of them through years of hell. It is a shameful episode in British history.

No: This was a tragic accident that came about because of a confusion in government about laws previous governments had made. It was a harmful mistake, but not necessarily a malicious one.

Or... Whatever the cause of this crisis, it came about because the government imposed harsh measures on migrants. It was inevitable that some people would slip through the cracks and their lives would be greatly impacted.

Tilbury - A port town in Essex, England.

Caribbean - The region made up of the Caribbean Sea and its islands, including the West Indies.

Air raids - And attack in which bombs are dropped on an area from the sky.

Colonies - Area or countries under the control of another nation.

Multicultural - Including many different cultures or nationalities.

Cosmopolitan - Having a worldwide outlook and taking an interest in many different cultures or ideas.

Conservative party - A British political party. Members are known as Tories.

Leave to remain - In the UK, an immigration status in which somebody who is not a citizen of the UK has the right to stay and work in the country. There is a difference between limited and indefinite leave to remain.

British Empire - A group of countries that were once ruled or controlled by the UK, including Australia, Canada, India and large parts of Africa.

Home secretary - In Britain, they are responsible for national security, immigration and policing.