£1.5m fund for Gurkha integration

Fears a small Hampshire town could be overwhelmed by an influx of former Gurkha soldiers are to be addressed by a £1.5 million government integration fund.

The cash has been found to meet “immediate resource pressures” on Rushmoor Borough Council whose area includes Aldershot, where the population has been significantly swelled by the new arrivals.

But pro-Gurkha campaigners said the cash was insufficient to deal with the problem and urged ministers instead to tackle pension disparities that would enable veterans to stay in Nepal.

It is estimated that up to 10 per cent of the community is now Nepalese, after a successful legal battle won the right for those with at least four years’ British Army service to settle in the UK with dependants.

Local politicians say that, while they welcome the newcomers, the number of arrivals has placed unsustainable pressure on local services.