Commomwealth soldiers face deportation
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...portation.html
Commonwealth soldiers face deportation
Commonwealth soldiers who have risked their lives for Britain are facing deportation and destitution under new rules which deny them British citizenship.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Telegraph
Commonwealth recruits to the British forces can claim citizenship after four years’ service. But a Sunday Telegraph investigation has found that a growing number are being refused it. Unable to work or claim benefits, they and their families rely on charity handouts to survive. Veterans’ groups say they are seeing dozens of new cases every month as the rule changes bite. “This is turning into a major problem for us, and for the people involved it can be a total disaster,” said Hugh Milroy, chief executive of Veterans’ Aid. “As a nation, we should hang our heads in shame at what is being done to these people.”
Lance-Corporal Bale Balewai, a Fijian, served for 13 years in the Army, including operational tours to Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Northern Ireland, winning four medals, exemplary reports from his commanding officers and even being used in recruitment adverts. He has a British wife and children. But he has been refused citizenship, banned from working, and faces imminent removal – because he once accepted a commanding officer’s punishment after getting into a fight with another soldier.
The punishment was imposed at a military summary hearing in the CO’s office lasting ten minutes. L/Cpl Balewai had no legal representation. No witnesses were called and he was not told that five other soldiers were prepared to testify that he had acted in self-defence. However, for immigration purposes, a military summary punishment counts the same as a criminal conviction in a civilian court, disqualifying the applicant from citizenship. Under the old rules, discretion was allowed and would almost certainly have been granted for such a minor, non-criminal offence.
As is so typical of the British Government (Conservative and Labour) they are unable, or indeed unwilling, to control our borders so usually they'll pretend (as they are here) to be tough on immigration rules into this country by picking on law abiding subjects who have served our country in war.
Is anybody really fooled by this? we should be ashamed that our government is so weak and incompetent (1m+ illegals estimated to be in this crowded country, unable to control immigration from Europe due to the EU) that is has to pick on weak targets to prove a point - something you can see with its utter failure to tackle crime, so it'll pick on grannies who refuse to pay council tax or motorists.
Same old, same old.
Thoughts?
