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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Gurkhas win High Court battle to stay in UK

Gurkhas win High Court battle to stay in UK

Gurkhas who fought alongside the British Army have won their battle to settle in the UK following a High Court test case.

"The result was welcomed by actress Joanna Lumley, whose late father served with the 6th Gurkha Rifles, as a chance to "right a great wrong and wipe out a national shame that has stained us all".

The six claimants who led the battle by 2,000 Gurkhas for the right to live in the UK included veterans of the Gulf War and Falklands conflicts who currently live in Nepal and Hong Kong.

They all applied to settle in the UK but were denied entry by immigration officials because of a policy that barred those who had not served since the Nepalese fighters' base moved from Hong Kong to Kent following the island nation's handover to China in 1997
".

The irrational policy decision was made by the former Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon. What a Plonker!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

jailhouselawyer,

Judge Justice Blake ruled instructions given by the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, in this case were "unlawful".