Ex-Gurkhas denied trip to France

This may of been picked up elsewhere......

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/7558961.stm

Former Gurkhas in Kent have been stopped from going on a day trip to France because they have no visas. The men, who fought for Britain in the second world war, would not be allowed back into the UK without them.

Margate service veterans organised the outing for 20 Gurkhas as part of a holiday in the South East.

"It's a bit shabby they can't get a bit of paper to say they can go to France and come back," said Stan Davis, from Lest We Forget, who organised the trip.

Madan Kumargurung, from the Gurkha Association, said they had been given indefinite leave to stay in the UK and he felt they should therefore be allowed to travel freely throughout the EU.

The question of citizenship and other rights for Gurkhas is to be heard before the courts next month. More than 2,000 Gurkhas who retired before 1 July 1997 have been refused permission to settle permanently in Britain.

The men, who claim they have been racially discriminated against by the UK government, were given permission two weeks ago to apply for judicial review.

 

theres a lot of serving and ex gurkhas were im living my kids are mates with some of them and all of em are decent people shame to treat them like this. They served this country and the goverment treats them like sh*t typical aint it!

 

This is so sad , I hope that some one out there can help the Gurkhas .

 

One of my wife's uncles is in a similar position, he's Polish and settled here after demob at the end of WWII marrying the wife's aunt in about 1947. He never naturalised and is now stuck in England. This country really does suck.

 

well he has had 60 years to think about it mate.

 

I've come across this before on a number of occasions. And, no, I don't work for immigration, either.

It seems that "indefinite leave to remain" means just that, indefinite leave to remain in the UK, not to enjoy full UK citizenship and therefore have the right to enter Eu countries as if they were full British passport holders.

As I understand it, Polish citizens are now full members of the Eu, and therefore have the right to remain under Eu laws and to travel to other Eu countries without visas.

Sounds cr@ppy, I know, but bear in mind that it applies to other Eu countries as well. Algerian citizens and Mauritian citizens have rights to enter France, but not to travel to other Eu countries without a visa. Same applies to Brazilians (the people, not the pubic hairstyle!) entering Portugal.

Nothing to stop anyone from applying for nationality, and having dual citizenship. Very few countries offer that, it's well worth habving although it isn't a cheap process.

Shame about the Ghurkas and their families though, but if they choose not to apply for a British passport, then that is their choice

 

Since Poland is now in the EU then your wife's uncle can go wherever he likes within the EU. Hardly "stuck" here, is he?
As for the Gurkhas, if they have indefinite leave to remain then re-entry to the UK is no more difficult than queuing up with the other foreign passport holders.
The article is confusing - on the one hand it makes out like the UK won't let them back in if they leave, so the only way that's possible is if they don't have permission to be here now. On the other it says that they have indefinite leave to remain, which as I've mentioned, is not a problem, but would still mean that as non-EU passport holders they would need to adhere to other countries' visa requirements. So which is it?

As for the whole ex-Gurkha issue, I believe that they should all be rewarded for their service to the Crown with an immediate naturalisation as British passport holders on completion of their military service. Far too many worthless w*nkers get British passports when they shouldn't, and the Gurkhas are at the opposite end of the spectrum IMHO.

 

Our posts crossed. Well said

 

Even the bloody Frogs give citizenship on completion of a five year Legion "contrat"

 

Probably explains why the street value of genuine French passports is about £500, whereas a British one will set you back around £6,000!

I think you'll find that all you have to do to become a British naturalised citizen is arrive at our shores legally, spend three years living here without getting a police record, supporting yourself and passing an English test, a citizenship test (which most natural born Brits would probably fail by all accounts), take an oath and cough up the required dosh.

Of course these Ghurkas deserve citizenship and our eternal gratitude for their endeavours, that goes without saying, and their visas say they are welcome to stay indefinitely. They have had a few years in which to complete the paperwork if they wanted British nationality, so it was their choice.

It is the bloody Frogs who are refusing to let them in without either a visa or a full British/Eu passport, not the Brits who are causing the problems.

 

At last, the French have shown how the passport/visa system should be applied.

Next we will have the Italians deporting undesirables!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And in the UK we will_____________________________

So, how many arrsers voted liabour last time and wiull vote liabore at the next election?

Of course, not forgetting the relatives.

Mong arrsers inc.

 

All this crap.

Ifdf the immigrtation sivil serpants jhad givcen the "UK passport to the EU"

in the first place this wouold not be an issue.

vent your energy "if yopu can" to the passport service "I was only carrying out orders" "sound familier" Belsen for the under age.

Dream on. you fcucxkwits.

 

For those that have reading difficulties.

The Soldiers that have served and died for the UK. Regardless of color.

For soldiers that have served "no time limit"

Simple.

A British passport.

The same passportr given to the pakiiiii shoite killinhg squaddiees ion arganistan.

 

Now if they'd been Tipton Taliban off to fight in Afg, no doubt they would have been allowed to go and welcomed back with open arms.

I swear to God if I ever get into a position of power I shall ensure the Ghurkas will be rewarded for their loyal service by being honoured members of my firing squads!