Martin Salter, Labour MP for Reading West, has today announced that together with Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, and Liberal Democrat Bob Russell, he has contacted MPs and Members of the House of Lords to set up an All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gurkha Rights. All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) are cross-party groups run by and for Members of the Commons and Lords, which debate, campaign on or raise awareness of particular issues.

In his letter to MPs Mr Salter has written:

“Gurkhas have been part of the British Army for almost 200 years.  More than 200,000 fought in the two world wars and in the past 50 years, they have served in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Borneo, Cyprus, the Falklands, Kosovo and Afghanistan.   They serve in a variety of roles, mainly in the infantry but with significant numbers of engineers, logisticians and signals specialists.

We believe that the Gurkhas who serve and have served in the British Army deserve the highest recognition for their bravery and commitment, including eligibility for either the right to remain or citizenship. The decision to allow only those Gurkhas who have served at least four years and been discharged after 1st July 1997 the right to remain is a policy which denies many dedicated ex-servicemen immigration rights which they have surely earned. ”

Speaking from Reading, where he recently opened the new offices for the United British-Gurkha Ex-Serviceman’s Association, Mr Salter said:

“I am encouraged by some of the steps the Government has taken in respect of Gurkha rights such as; offering serving Gurkhas and some recently retired Gurkhas membership of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme, the increase in Gurkha Pensions in 2000 and the 2004 change in immigration rules to allow Gurkhas discharged after 1997 to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

However, many MPs feel that not enough is being done to ensure that all Gurkha servicemen and ex-servicemen are treated with the same consideration that is afforded to their British and Commonwealth counterparts in the British Armed Forces.  The pre-1997 Gurkhas who are currently applying for the right to settle are going through a devastatingly rough time at the hands of the home office and find themselves in a legal no-man’s-land.”

Mr Salter added:

“It is no longer enough for politicians to simply appear in photo-calls on this issue; we must now roll up our sleeves and press for a real change in Government policy. For this reason I hope I will be able to count on the support of peers and fellow Members from all sides of the Houses of Parliament in the creation of an All-Party Group on Gurkha Rights.”