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Seasoned Vet
 
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| http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/3616892.stm Gurkhas' UK citizen bid reviewed Wednesday, 1 September, 2004, 16:41 GMT 17:41 UK Demands by up to 400 retired Gurkhas for British citizenship will form part of a review of the soldier's position, the government said. The soldiers, from Nepal and based mainly in Kent, protested in Liverpool before meeting Home Office officials. Despite having fought as part of the British Army for almost 200 years, they are barred from British citizenship. The Home Office later said the soldier's concerns will "feed into" the policy review of their naturalisation. However, many of the soldiers feel the Home Office is taking too long to consider the issue. Some said they have been waiting for two years for citizenship applications to be processed, which they claim is preventing them getting jobs. Public support After the meeting Tikendradal Dewan, chair of the Brigade of Gurkhas Welfare Society, said the soldiers did not get an answer. "It is very frustrating for all of us," he said. "We can't go home to visit our families in case they do not let us back in and we can't get the jobs we want." The soldiers, who gathered at the Home Office's Immigration and Nationality Directorate in Water Street, were being supported by other ex-servicemen and members of the public. During the demonstration many of the Gurkhas, most of whom had travelled from Folkestone, were dressed in their regimental tie and wore the medals they have won during their service, which can last up to 30 years. The Home Office later said: "Officials from the MOD and the Home Office are reviewing the current policy on the naturalisation and settlement of Gurkhas," a spokesperson said. "The information gathered [in Liverpool] will feed into the review currently being undertaken. "We cannot comment further on the possible outcome of that review but we are working hard to resolve this situation." The Gurkha regiment now has around 3,500 men.
Make The Voices Stop!
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Strong Like Bull, Smart As Rock
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Hard Charger
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Had a chance to train with the Gurkhas ,and let me tell you they may be small but they are some bad MOFO'S  .I really belive that they should get British Citizenship,I can't belive its even a question.During the Falklands war Cnn put on a short clip of the Gurkhas deploying and it put Argentina into a panic.
MIKE LANSAW
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Seasoned Vet
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Joining Gurkhas is like a lottery win, says Army hopeful http://portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/10/01/wgurk01.xmlBy Thomas Bell in Kathmandu
(Filed: 01/10/2004)Britain's decision to grant citizenship to Gurkha soldiers was received with gratitude in Nepal yesterday, although some veterans complained that the scheme did not go far enough.For Kumar Bahadur Gurung, 18, who survives on odd jobs in the capital, Kathmandu, the announcement fuelled his hopes of entering the Gurkhas, who have fought for the British for nearly two centuries. "Joining the Gurkhas is like winning a million-rupee lottery," he said. "Now if I am selected, my family and I could one day settle in Britain and live comfortably. If I had the chance to be a Gurkha, I would be assured of an education, training and a salary that surpasses that of a government minister." Last month Gurung fled from his village, Chipledunga, in western Nepal after threats from Maoist rebels who have taken over much of the kingdom in their eight-year campaign to overthrow the monarchy.He said the Maoists had tried to recruit him and had warned young people not to join the "imperialist army", meaning either the Nepalese army or the Gurkhas. Most Gurkhas have traditionally preferred to settle in their homeland after retirement, said Deepak Bahadur Gurung, a retired major who spent 30 years with the regiment. But the situation was now different because of the Maoists. Former Gurkhas complain that after being discharged from the Army, typically in their mid-thirties, they have few opportunities in Nepal, and because of their relative wealth they are treated as a "milking cow" for bribery by local officials. Jaya Kumar Kerung, who retired in 1998, said that he would take the opportunity to go to Britain. "I worked for 16 years for the British in the UK, so all my qualifications can be used there, but not in Nepal," said Mr Kerung, who trained as a surveyor, electrician, draftsman and lorry driver in the Queen's Gurkha Engineers. Even before the announcement, becoming a soldier in the British Army was one of the most attractive careers in a country where the average annual income is £145. Every year there are about 100 applicants for each place. Veterans' associations were disappointed that only Gurkhas discharged after July 1, 1997, would be eligible. British officials say the cut-off date was chosen because that was when Hong Kong was returned to China and the Brigade of Gurkhas, with a current strength of 3,500, transferred to Britain. About 100 out of the 400 Gurkhas already resident in Britain will be ineligible for citizenship because of the 1997 cut-off. Around 240 men have retired every year since then. Their wives and children will also be entitled to live in Britain. Those not covered by the scheme are bitter. Bag Bir Rai, who retired in 1991, returned to Kathmandu yesterday on leave from his job guarding the American embassy in Kuwait. "I used an SA-80 [rifle], the new guys used the same thing. I was on standby for the [first] Gulf war. I was ready to fight," he said. "What is the difference between 1991 and 1997?" There is an even older generation of Gurkhas living in poverty well beyond the reach of the latest policy change. Lek Bahadur Rai, 69, served for 10 years in the 10th Gurkha Rifles and saw action in Malaya. He does not qualify for an Army pension and receives about £57 every three months from the Gurkha Welfare Trust, a charity administered by the Ministry of Defence.
Make The Voices Stop!
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Ei Temporis Vita Semper Resumo Sese
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I've also had the priviledge of training with Gurkhas... they are without a doubt some of the most disciplined troops I've ever seen. This should never have become an issue fopr this day and age... UK citizenship should of been on the docket fifty years ago.
"The degenerative and loony should never be denigrated but, rather, thanked. In their absence, the rest of you would be obliged to fill congressional seats... positions naturally unsavory to the sane and honorable." Thorax
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Ei Temporis Vita Semper Resumo Sese
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Last Login: 2 days ago @ 8:23 AM
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Gurkhas win UK citizenship rights
|  Many Gurkhas think UK citizenship is the least they deserve |
Gurkhas who have served in the British Army are to be allowed to apply to settle in the UK and gain British citizenship. The announcement made by Tony Blair follows a government review and a campaign by the Nepalese soldiers. The prime minister said the Gurkhas had made an "enormous contribution" and it was important that their commitment and sacrifice were recognised. Gurkhas have fought as part of the British Army for almost 200 years. Cut-off point From now on, Gurkhas who leave after more than four years' service will be able to apply to stay in the UK. It is expected that most will be granted indefinite leave and citizenship after a further 12 months.  |  It's difficult to rejoice at the news when we know that something like a quarter of the guys will not benefit from it. 
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But the rules do not apply to those discharged from the armed forces before July 1997. According to the Brigade of Gurkhas Welfare Society, that means 100 Gurkhas in the UK - a quarter of the total number who live here - will not be entitled to stay. "This is extremely good news in a way but it is not a 100% celebration because of the cut-off date," said Maj Tikendradal Dewan, chairman of the Brigade of Gurkhas Welfare Society. "It's difficult to rejoice at the news when we know that something like a quarter of the guys will not benefit from it." But Bidur Pakhrin, who was a private in the Gurkhas between 1988 and 2003 and is vice chairman of the Brigade of Gurkhas Welfare Society, welcomed the announcement. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "In the first place it was such a long overdue announcement. We had been waiting in some cases more than three years. | There was no running water, and a rebellion by Maoist guerrillas problems was causing the country many problems
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"We must say we are quite happy with the announcement considering we have made 200 years of contributions to the country." For many years, members of the regiment have been pushing for rights to British citizenship after their retirement and better conditions during their army service. In 2003, seven former members of the regiment lost a court case for the same pay and pensions as other UK soldiers. Mr Blair said: "The Gurkhas have served this country with great skill, courage and dignity during some of the most testing times in our history. "They have made an enormous contribution not just to our armed forces but to the life of this country, and it is important their commitment and sacrifice is recognised." Human Rights lawyer Phil Shiner said Mr Blair's announcement was a major "breakthrough". He added: "It removes the government's basis for continuing to discriminate against the Gurkhas. "What we have now is a position where the Gurkhas should be allowed to have their wives and families here as the British are. "The Gurkhas should be paid the same and if the Gurkhas have the right to remain living and working in the UK after their service remains then of course they should be paid the same pension." Home Office officials said the new immigration regulations would be phased in very soon. The Nepal Ex-Servicemen's Association thanked the British government for allowing ex-Gurkhas to apply to settle in Britain and seek fast-track citizenship. NESA's chairman, Major Deepak Garung, added: "What matters most is UK work permits, not citizenship, and anyone who has served as a Gurkha for more than four years should be entitled to those, as should their families." The Gurkha regiment now has around 3,500 men. In recent years, the Gurkhas have served in UK interventions in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone. |
"The degenerative and loony should never be denigrated but, rather, thanked. In their absence, the rest of you would be obliged to fill congressional seats... positions naturally unsavory to the sane and honorable." Thorax
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