Brits finally deem Gurkhas worthy of residency.

[sandar]

Of course they do? That is why it has taken so long, and lest we forget, they still do not actually have the right.

it has taken a long time because the labout govt. have kicked it into the long grass for as long as possible, they couldnt do that any more and lost the vote. This vote is binding on the govt. but its not a vote to allow them to stay, an vote in parliament on that mpotion woulld be binding...mr crowley and merle are trying to spin an essential truth into a lie.....and the ghurkas will have the right soon enough..wjether thios labour govt. gramnts it to gain a positoive headline, or whether we have to wait for the next govt. to come in...

[pete2]

it has taken a long time because the labout govt. have kicked it into the long grass for as long as possible, they couldnt do that any more and lost the vote. This vote is binding on the govt. but its not a vote to allow them to stay, an vote in parliament on that mpotion woulld be binding...mr crowley and merle are trying to spin an essential truth into a lie.....and the ghurkas will have the right soon enough..wjether thios labour govt. gramnts it to gain a positoive headline, or whether we have to wait for the next govt. to come in...

Two issues here, one of which touches on what merle was saying. Firstly the brit labour government since 1997 has done more for these mercs than any other brit government before them, bar none.

..before 2004 no government had given retired Gurkhas an absolute right to British citizenship and permanent residency – in that year Labour gave such a commitment to all Gurkhas who have served since 1997, when their main base was moved from Hong Kong to [britain].
While Gurkhas are still paid less than their British comrades, this government has markedly increased their pension payments: a typical Gurkha NCO retiring at 33 after 15 years’ service now receives a pension greater than the salary of a Nepalese government minister.

..[the issue of Heroes fit to live in britain was] addressed .. by offering an unconditional right of citizenship to pre-1997 Gurkhas who have “received level 1-3 awards for gallantry, leadership or bravery for service in the brigade . . . [or] have a chronic/long term medical condition which is attributable to, or was aggravated by, service in the brigade”...

..[the] 1947 tripartite agreement between Nepal, Britain and India (many more Gurkhas serve in the Indian army than in our own) decreed: “A Gurkha soldier must be recruited as a Nepali citizen, must serve as a Nepali citizen and must be resettled as a Nepali citizen.”

Labour has not decided to go ahead with this stupid idea for very good reasons- it is anticipated to cost them a Billion and provides yet another backdoor into britain.

..Labour has indeed not acceded to Lumley’s principal request: that all Gurkha veterans and their dependants, from before the 1997 cut-off, are given absolute rights of British residency. It claims that up to 100,000 could move to Britain if it did..

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle6211395.ece

These people are mercs who knew exactly what they were getting into, and to see people desiring they come to these islands in the tens of thousands is crazy. They were hired as mercs, in recognition for their service to the empire they were given a very good deal in 1997, they have nothing to complain about.

[PaulMeyer]

Well put. The Govt. case in this matter is long established and based on an agreement with their country of origin and India, the largest employer of Gurkhas with something in excess of 100,000 in their Army. Field Marshall Lord Bramall, a former Chief of Defence Staff and late Colonel Commandant Brigade of Gurkhas made the point beautifully in a speech in the Lords. He concluded by pointing out that they have had a very good deal indeed from the agreement and that demanding things now which were never part of it will likely lead to the end of Gurkha service in the British Army with, I might add, unfortunate effects for the Nepalese economy as the flow of remittances and pensions dry up.(a retired Gurkha with a 15 year pension is a wealthy man in Nepal!) Unfortunately Labour are unable to make their case heard and that is entirely their own fault. They deliberately (and cynically IMHO) caused the current immigration crisis and with people from all over the world entering the UK in unprecedented numbers, many of them from countries with which we have no real connection, it seems bizarre and inexplicable to exclude an admirable people who have actually been of great service to the UK. No one is interested in anything Labour have to say anymore, no one believes them and their handling of this has been spectacularly inept and clumsy. Hoist by their own petard I think.

[sandar]

Pete they didnt know what thwey were getting into, up uintil 1997 and the hand over to Hong kONG THE RULES WERE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.
S mercenary is someone who fights for money, and is deviod of ideology. That is not rhe case with the Ghurkas, who fight in the British army because they believe it brings homour upon their people and their king, you should read up on the historical backround of why the ghurkas are in britsian.
This labour govt. has done more because they were starting with a blank canvass, there is nothing to compare it to, there was NO demand for the ghrkas to live in britian before 1997(when labour came to power) because the Ghurka s could live in Honng Kong, so anything any post 1997 govt. did would be more than was done beofre 1997, because there was no issue.

[pete2]

sandar I appreciate the points you are making but don't think there will be much of an appetite for Lumleys idea when the Labour government manages to get its argument out. Brown is supposed to be dealing with this now but he is on the way out so his personal assurances may not count for much.

The future of Gurhkas wanting to settle in Britain was uncertain this afternoon after the Home Office rejected five test cases.
The government sent letters to the five informing them of the outcome, despite assurances that new guidelines would see them settled here.
But at an impromptu joint press conference this afternoon, Immigration Minister Phil Woolas promised campaigner Joanna Lumley that all five cases would be reviewed once new resettlement criteria was established by Gordon Brown.

Joanna Lumley 'shocked and betrayed' as Home Office rejects five Gurkha test cases | Mail Online

[sandar]

'when the labour government gets its idess out' what ideas? THE COMPLETELY FALSE ONE ABOUT THE nu nber of ghurkas coming to britain, they are basing their arguments on the theory that every ghurka will come to britain, well they wont allw ant to come.