Cautious welcome given to "sympathetic" hearing for pre-1997 Gurkhas

In a letter dated Nov 9, the British Home Office has informed Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Association (GAESO) that even the cases of soldiers discharged before 1997 would be considered on an individual basis.

Pressured by a campaign led by ex-Gurkhas themselves, Peter Carroll and the Liberal Democrats, Tony Blair announced in September that changes would be made to immigration rules in favour of the soldiers. The Government decided to have a cut-off date with only those who had been discharged on or after July 1, 1997, and had served at least four years to be covered.

According to Ian Newman, policy advisor at the Home Office, the British government, in recognition of "the valuable contribution made by Gurkhas to our country, all applications from Gurkhas discharged before July 1, 1997, will be considered on their individual merits and discretion to grant settlement will be exercised in appropriate cases".

Some factors that will determine such applications are the time the applicant spent in Britain, the presence of close family members there and chronic medical condition, Newman said.

Peter Carroll has given a cautious welcome to the letter:

"We would like an official announcement that all ex-Gurkhas will get equal rights, and will continue to campaign for that. However, this letter will give some relief to those affected by the Government's seemingly arbitrary cut-off date."