Friday, May 01, 2009

Foreign Soldiers & UK Residence Question.

It seems right that the Gurkhas should be allowed to settle in the UK seeing as they've served the country well.

I'm just wondering though, how does the position of the Gurkha's compare to that of other foreign soldiers who serve in the British Army, although not in different regiments? Commonwealth and Irish citizens are eligible to serve and according to Wikipedia there are 6000 soldiers from outside the UK currently serving in the army including 1900 Fijians, 600 Jamaicans and a similar number of Ghanaians. Are they eligible to reside in the UK once they've completed their service?

Update: In the comments Tim Worstall says that they are allowed to become residents after 4 years of service, which makes the treatment of the Gurkhas seem even stranger.

8 comments:

JuliaM said...

I'd say 'yes'. They've proved their worth, after all.

Ross said...

I agree they should, but I'm wondering what their current status is.

Rob Farrington said...

I don't know about the legal position either, but morally, yes - they should be able to settle here.

In fact, we should roll out the welcome mat for them.

Tim Worstall said...

For everyone EXCEPT Gurkhas, 4 years service gets the right of residence.

The latest proposal from that rancid little **** Woolas was that Gurkhas should have to serve 20.

North Northwester said...

they risked having their blood spilled for Britain - they can jolly well live and die here in peace and one day grace our land with their bones.

alison said...

This whole issue seems strange and I'm wondering if it isn't being blown out of proportion. Not wondering so much as I reckon it is. Don't know how or why yet but it just seems too damn weird.

Ross said...

"This whole issue seems strange and I'm wondering if it isn't being blown out of proportion."In what way?

alison said...

In that it is obviously right they should stay, that we should honour the covenant and that it would be unlikely Labour would be wholesale blocking this. Especially given their nationality and Labour's approach to such matters. It all seems very odd. I would be interested to see some real stats on previous years, previous government allowances and why precisely this issue has emerged now. Just how real this issue really is.