Pressure mounts for U-turn on 'betrayal' of Gurkhas

Published on Tuesday 28 April 2009 22:59

THE HOME Office faced mounting political pressure yesterday to allow all Gurkha veterans to settle in the UK, as an influential committee of MPs accused the government of denying them "natural justice".

Ministers will be summoned before the home affairs select committee to explain their decision to limit the number allowed to stay from among the 36,000 who served before 1997.

And Labour MPs have been urged to embarrass the government into a U-turn today by voting against the limit when it is debated in the Commons.

Campaigners denounced last week's offer of UK residency to Gurkhas who met certain conditions as a "betrayal" which would help no more than 100 of the former fighters, not the 4,000 claimed by the government.

Actress Joanna Lumley, whose father served in a Gurkha regiment, is due to again join demonstrators gathering outside Parliament during the debate.

The Labour-dominated home affairs committee called on Home Secretary Jacqui Smith last November to extend settlement rights to all former Gurkhas after hearing "compelling testimony" from veterans and campaigners.

Its chairman, Labour former minister Keith Vaz, said members were "extremely disap-pointed" that she had ignored their pleas and would summon home office and defence ministers to explain the decision.