Gurkha veterans seek equal rights

[Sirius]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7300521.stm

So we let them fight our battles.


We let them die in our battles.

Thousands of retired Gurkhas are gathering at Parliament to demand the right to remain in the UK.

Gurkhas who retired after 1997 can automatically stay in the UK, but those who retired earlier must apply.

Up to 100 of the Nepalese soldiers will hand in their medals to Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg in protest.

Then when this and previous Governments have finished with them we make them apply to stay here and they then have to fight for that.


But we allow Illegal immigrants to stay and leach everything they can scam from us


So what spin will we hear from the Pretender and his joke of a Government today at Question time.

[Osem]

Agree - and for all those who accuse everyone who shows any concern about immigration of being racist xenophobes, I'm happy to be one who would happily see these loyal hardworking people come to live in the UK.

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by Sirius

But we allow Illegal immigrants to stay and leach everything they can scam from us

So the figures for deported illegal immigrants are completely made up?
None have been deported at all?
Wow. That's amazing!


As for the Gurkhas, they've been treated appaulingly by successive governments, but then so are most of our service men and women, and this must change.
Apparently there are thousands of Polish immigrants who are desperate to join our army and fight for Britain.
A friend of mine from Hong Kong who'd lived here since '94 was deported as his student visa ran out and he'd not been aware that because he took a year out during his degree his "time in the country" was reset, the previous 11 years no longer counted, so unable to claim ILR and then British Citizenship, he had to leave. His dream was to join the army too.
Should I contact him and let him know he can come back as we allow illegal immigrants to stay now?

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Xaccers

So the figures for deported illegal immigrants are completely made up?
None have been deported at all?
Wow. That's amazing!


As for the Gurkhas, they've been treated appaulingly by successive governments, but then so are most of our service men and women, and this must change.
Apparently there are thousands of Polish immigrants who are desperate to join our army and fight for Britain.
A friend of mine from Hong Kong who'd lived here since '94 was deported as his student visa ran out and he'd not been aware that because he took a year out during his degree his "time in the country" was reset, the previous 11 years no longer counted, so unable to claim ILR and then British Citizenship, he had to leave. His dream was to join the army too.
Should I contact him and let him know he can come back as we allow illegal immigrants to stay now?

To be fair, I don't think Sirius stated that ALL illegal immigrants are allowed to stay. Deportations aside, far too many still are though and the irony is that people, like your friend, who deserve to be treated better aren't.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Osem

To be fair, I don't think Sirius stated that ALL illegal immigrants are allowed to stay. Deportations aside, far too many still are though and the irony is that people, like your friend, who deserve to be treated better aren't.

Correct.

Just waiting for the accusations to start flowing now.

I agree that there are those that are removed, but only after every possible Human Rights law has been attempted and exhausted.

Meanwhile the Gurkha's are a easy target for those that don't in my opinion fully support those that chose to defend this country.

[Xaccers]

To be fair he said "we allow Illegal immigrants to stay" when we clearly don't.
Unless he's saying something along the lines of "the police allowed a crime to take place because they weren't there to stop it and knew nothing about it, therefore crime is allowed"

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Xaccers

To be fair he said "we allow Illegal immigrants to stay" when we clearly don't.
Unless he's saying something along the lines of "the police allowed a crime to take place because they weren't there to stop it and knew nothing about it, therefore crime is allowed"

Well if we are being pedantic are you saying that no illegal immigrant has ever been allowed to stay here either officially or unoffically? I think most people reading Sirius' comment will understand what was meant by it as I suspect you do. The fact that someone in that position may no longer be considered 'illegal' by the state doesn't alter the point that they entered the country illegally and have been allowed to stay either by having their legal status changed or simply due to the failure of the authorities to detect and remove them.

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by Osem

Well if we are being pedantic are you saying that no illegal immigrant has ever been allowed to stay here? I think most people reading Sirius' comment will understand what was meant by it as I suspect you do.

If they are allowed to stay, they're no longer an illegal immigrant, they'd have been given leave to remain.

Oh I think I fully understand what was meant by Sirius' comment.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Osem

Well if we are being pedantic are you saying that no illegal immigrant has ever been allowed to stay here? I think most people reading Sirius' comment will understand what was meant by it as I suspect you do.

Dont worry. This will turn in to yet another word game thread. Before long there will be comments that can or cannot be taken to mean this or that. I think some know what i am talking about.

I know what i said and if for once someone wants to back up there accusation then do it now. I am sick and tired of the veiled accusation like this

Oh I think I fully understand what was meant by Sirius' comment.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Xaccers

If they are allowed to stay, they're no longer an illegal immigrant, they'd have been given leave to remain.

Oh I think I fully understand what was meant by Sirius' comment.

You ignore the fact that people are also being allowed to stay in effect because the state doesn't find them or remove them. Until these people are either given the right to remain or deported they remain here illegally which is what Sirius pointed out.

[lostandconfused]

IMHO anyone regardless of their country of origin should be given permenant residancy of this country if they have volunteered to lay their life on the line for our country.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Osem

You ignore the fact that people are also being allowed to stay in effect because the state doesn't find them or remove them. Until these people are either given the right to remain or deported they remain here illegally which is what Sirius pointed out.

Mean while the Gurkha's are in the full glare of this so called Government and treated poorly. Easy targets

[Osem]

Originally Posted by lostandconfused

IMHO anyone regardless of their country of origin should be given permenant residancy of this country if they have volunteered to lay their life on the line for our country.

Agree 100%

[ntluser]

I think the government has lost the plot with regards to immigration.

The immigration system is so inefficient that it allows just about anyone in and cannot give numbers or say where they are.

And then to top it all they refuse entry to the Gurkhas.

I think the government's treatment of the Gurkhas is appalling. Having said that they treat our own troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in the same way.

Maybe we need to put MPs in the firing line and see if that changes their perspective about how we treat those who put their lives on the line for Queen and country.

[nomadking]

Wasn't it the conditions laid down by the Nepalese government that control how the Gurkha's were treated. After all, permission is required to recruit in Nepal. The Nepalese don't want to lose people permanently or have people returning to Nepal as relatively rich people, both of which would distort the country.