Policy which denied Commonwealth veterans visas could be scrapped

British army parade


A policy which forces Commonwealth troops to pay thousands of pounds to stay in the UK after their service could change following the launch of a public consultation on 26 May. But some say the proposed measures don’t go far enough. The visa scandal has been ongoing for several years now. And it even led to some Fijian veterans being effectively denied the right to stay in the UK.

Currently personnel affected by this policy must pay the £2,389 visa application themselves. The government is reportedly proposing to waive the fee in a new measure which would come into force in the 2021/2022 financial year.

The UK military has thousands of members from former colonies. These include people from Fiji, Nepal, some African nations, and countries like Jamaica and Trinidad.

New consultation

The consultation will last six weeks. It’s hoped new legislation may allow troops automatic citizenship after 12 years.

The MOD acknowledged the scheme in a Twitter video. It showed defence secretary Ben Wallace and home secretary Priti Patel visiting Commonwealth soldiers.

Ben Wallace said:

We owe those who showed us loyal service, our loyalty in return.

It is right that we recognise their contribution by not only smoothing the pathway to residency and citizenship, but also by lifting the financial cost of doing so after 12 years of service.

Patel said:

I am immensely proud that brave servicemen and women from around the world want to continue to call the UK their home after their service.

It is only right that those who continue to do extraordinary work on behalf of our country are recognised and rewarded, and I am determined to support them settle in our wonderful communities right across the UK.

Frankly insulting

It’s not clear that the new scheme will address the problem. Labour’s Stephen Morgan, the Liberal Democrats, and the British Legion all criticised the proposal according to a BBC defence correspondent.

Labour warned that a 12 year starting point for automatic citizenship doesn’t go far enough. It pointed out that the usual length of service is between four and eleven years.

Featured image via Wikimedia Commons/Cpl Alex Morris

We need your help to keep speaking the truth

Every story that you have come to us with; each injustice you have asked us to investigate; every campaign we have fought; each of your unheard voices we amplified; we do this for you. We are making a difference on your behalf.

Our fight is your fight. You’ve supported our collective struggle every time you gave us a like; and every time you shared our work across social media. Now we need you to support us with a monthly donation.

We have published nearly 2,000 articles and over 50 films in 2021. And we want to do this and more in 2022 but we don’t have enough money to go on at this pace. So, if you value our work and want us to continue then please join us and be part of The Canary family.

In return, you get:

* Advert free reading experience
* Quarterly group video call with the Editor-in-Chief
* Behind the scenes monthly e-newsletter
* 20% discount in our shop

Almost all of our spending goes to the people who make The Canary’s content. So your contribution directly supports our writers and enables us to continue to do what we do: speaking truth, powered by you. We have weathered many attempts to shut us down and silence our vital opposition to an increasingly fascist government and right-wing mainstream media.

With your help we can continue:

* Holding political and state power to account
* Advocating for the people the system marginalises
* Being a media outlet that upholds the highest standards
* Campaigning on the issues others won’t
* Putting your lives central to everything we do

We are a drop of truth in an ocean of deceit. But we can’t do this without your support. So please, can you help us continue the fight?

The Canary Support us

Related articles