The claims of Windrush migrants struggling to prove their right to remain in Britain have been backed by tens of thousands of arrival records stored in the National Archives, it has emerged.

Ledgers recording the details of all passengers arriving at British ports from the late 19th century until 1960 are now known to include more than 85,000 from Caribbean countries such as Jamaica.

The material - which includes personal details of those who arrived in the UK on the Empire Windrush and other ships from 1948 - could provide vital evidence for those who have struggled to claim UK citizenship in the face of Home Office obstruction.

The Home Office destroyed its archive of landing cards in 2010, in a move widely condemned as “historical vandalism” and has since turned down applications for citizenship from hundreds of post war migrants from former British colonies.

But conformation by the National Archives that it holds details compiled by the Board of Trade of arrivals into the UK, including name, birth date, and journey taken, will add to the weight of evidence being presented by Windrush migrants for their right to remain.