Falklands Gurkha betrayed

[joe2812]

Reply from my MP with a letter from Richard Biscoe at the Nepal Desk of Visa Customer Services about Data Protection.

MP has said he'll write a more general letter to the Home Office and will send his reply on.

[LowNSlow]

This link may help the Gurkhas past and present and end the disgusting manner the British Government is treating people who have given everything for the UK. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/gurkhas-rights/

[Chugalug2]

Speechless, many thanks for your interesting post. What Meg Hillier describes as the existing arrangements are clearly unsatisfactory when considered against the wishes expressed in the petition, and by posts here, arrse and elsewhere. The agreement with Nepal needs revising, at the very least so that members of the Brigade may apply for naturalisation without having to leave the Brigade for other units to do so. It is a bizarre situation that men serving in a Brigade of the British Army are prohibited from having UK citizenship, especially as they may be commanded by British officers! Whether or not Nepal would allow for dual nationality for serving and ex serving Gurkhas is of course for that state to decide, but in any case Gurkhas should be allowed the right to choose having served the required time (5 years?). If they then become UK citizens, the usual arrangements for family members would presumably be followed as in all other such cases. It is good to know of the Home Secretary's generous level of discretion in such cases. It would be even better to know that such procedures were agreed and laid down in law and were the inalienable right of these loyal servants of the Crown rather than at the behest of politicians, generous or otherwise. I very much doubt if a change to what I have suggested here would result in "jeopardising the special relationship that currently exists between the United Kingdom and Nepal". More likely it would jeopardise the cosy set up whereby we retain the use of the world's premier light infantry, but not the expense and inconvenience of care and accomodation for them in their old age. This is an unequal and dishonourable arrangement and should be revisited and revised immediately!

[cargosales]

Sunday Telegraph 05 Aug 07

[Also posted on the SSAFA/G thread (Neighbours war with wounded soldiers families) but worthy of posting here too I think.]

There's some excellent joined-up thinking going on at the Telegraph. The piece by Jenny McCartney in today's Sunday Telegraph very nicely makes the connection between Gray's Lane and the Ghurkas

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/m.../05/do0505.xml

One would hope the politicians who were so quick to support SSAFA are now equally unequivocal in their representations to the Immigration Service. If not, perhaps they need further persuasion.

CS

[Chugalug2]

There's some excellent joined-up thinking going on at the Telegraph. The piece by Jenny McCartney in today's Sunday Telegraph very nicely makes the connection between Gray's Lane and the Ghurkas

Which surely brings us back to the next great challenge, ensuring L/Cpl Rai and his comrades the right of abode in the UK, on a full British Army Pension? Is it possible to receive an update from Messrs Howe now that their hearing is adjourned or is it all still sub judice, thus as effectively shutting us out as did the enthusiastic use of the DPA by the good Mr Richard Biscoe?

[Ned Kelley]

An email to Liam Byrne

Hi people,

Thought I'd share an email with you that I have just sent to Liam Byrne, see you in the Tower,
"
Dear Mr Byrne,

As a former RAF Regiment Gunner who served alongside Gurkha Soldiers in Belize, can you tell me how you and the FCO can honestly say that, L/Cpl Rai has no "Strong Ties" to the United Kingdom, he certainly has stronger ties than the flood of illegal and EU immigrants you let into this country with out hindrance and have never done anything for this country, yet a man (and a corps) that put their lives on the line for us, and do with an honour I find distinctly lacking in our political class; is refused, despite the fact that L/Cpl Rai was very nearly killed in the Falklands in 1982, he does not have sufficient links with the UK, I am disgusted by that statement, at least the Gurkha's know that the ordinary squaddie both serving and ex service, and those of us who have had the honur to serve alongside with them, are with them in this unfair fight.

Of course L/Cpl Rai and all of his comrades deserve to have full access to the UK and the NHS if need be, shame on you, and shame on your shambolic farce of a government."

[Exrigger]

Copied from another site:

Why is Wee Gordon Broon so keen on demanding the release of five inmates of the American holiday camp at Guantanamo Bay.

None of these men are British, but they had “resident” status when they were detained overseas. One, nabbed in Afghanistan, is said be have been Osama bin Laden’s interpreter. Another, a Jordanian who was arrested in Gambia, has been linked to the murder of Ken Bigley. The others are similarly tainted.

Once we get them back, it’s going to cost us £7.5 million a year to monitor them around the clock.

So why, Gordon, why? Have you not had enough excitement in your first few weeks in office?

If true then it goes to show why people who deserve residency/help from this country cannot get it.