by Nadeem Badshah
FORMER UK military staff from Commonwealth countries should be exempt from paying “rocketing” immigration fees to settle in Britain, campaigners have said.
Personnel who leave the Armed Forces after four years of service have to pay visa application costs that have risen by 127 per cent in the last five years, up from £1,051 to £2,389.
Each year, around 500 personnel from Commonwealth nations, including India and Pakistan, leave the military. They are faced with paying the fees if they wish to remain in the UK and bring family members over. During service, Commonwealth personnel are exempt from paying the fees.
While waiting for a decision on their settlement status, former troops are unable to work, claim benefits, or register with a GP.
The Royal British Legion is calling for the rule to be scrapped, and has been backed by MPs and families of war heroes.
Jaimal Singh Johal is the grandson of British Indian Army Subedar Manta Singh, who died fighting in France in 1915.
His father Colonel Assa and uncle Mohar served in the same regiment during the Second World War.
Johal told Eastern Eye: “They have committed everything to Britain. I am in favour [of the rule being scrapped]. The descendants of those who sacrificed should be given some preference.
“The fees are quite high. When we registered for British citizenship, the fee was nominal. They should be given help if they have given something to Britain and not be charged so much money.”
A former soldier from a Commonwealth nation and their partner have to pay £4,778 to continue to live in the UK.
Since their introduction in 2003, fees have increased overall by 1,441 per cent. If veterans cannot pay the fees, they face deportation.
Labour MP Khalid Mahmood, whose maternal great grandfather served in the Indian Army in Burma, told Eastern Eye: “I absolutely agree with the British Legion. They have given a huge amount of service to the Army.
“The least we can do when people are prepared to put their lives at risk is reward their loyalty and bravery. Treating them like this is another example of how toxic the government’s immigration policy is. We cannot allow this silly policy by Conservative ministers. These soldiers allowed us to learn about bravery and loyalty by putting themselves in harm’s way.”
Since 2016, up to 400 Commonwealth personnel and their family members every year have applied for indefinite leave to remain. In 2017-2018, 50 personnel recruited from the Commonwealth left the Royal Navy and Royal Marines and 440 left the Army.
In the past year, the British Legion has spent over £36,000 supporting former Commonwealth service personnel with immigration problems.
Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi said: “The government needs to do much more to show how valued our dedicated service personnel are. Commonwealth personnel who have served in our British Armed Forces and have made pending applications for indefinite leave to remain is an issue of concern for many constituents”.
Charles Byrne, director general of the Royal British Legion, said: “These Commonwealth veterans are facing a desperate situation. They have left their homeland and given years of loyal service to the UK. They should be able to continue living in the UK with their families, without incurring significant financial costs.”
The government said it has no current plans to exempt Commonwealth nationals who served in the armed forces from the fees, but the Home Office is discussing the issue with Ministry of Defence officials.
English questioning rose from 20 per cent to 31 per cent, and racist jokes from 36 per cent to 41 per cent
Workplace violence against Black and ethnic minority employees rises to 26 per cent
Highlights
The Trades Union Congress surveyed 1,044 Black, Asian and ethnic minority employees. The results show clear increases in racist behaviour between 2020 and 2026.
Workers having their English questioned rose from 20 per cent to 31 per cent. Those hearing racist jokes went up from 36 per cent to 41 per cent.
Racist comments made to workers or around them increased from 31 per cent to 36 per cent.
Violence and threats
The most worrying finding involves physical threats and violence, which jumped from 19 per cent to 26 per cent.
Racist posts shared on workplace social media grew from 22 per cent to 28 per cent. Racist materials being passed around increased from 19 per cent to 25 per cent.
Beyond direct racism, many workers face unfair treatment. Nearly half (45 per cent) said they get harder or less popular jobs.
Over two in five (43 per cent) receive unfair criticism. The same number (41 per cent) stay stuck on temporary contracts.
Work conditions got worse too. Those not getting enough hours rose from 30 per cent to 40 per cent.
Workers denied overtime went from 30 per cent to 37 per cent. Being kept on short-term contracts increased from 33 per cent to 41 per cent.
Direct managers cause most unfair treatment (35 per cent), followed by other managers (19 per cent).
Bullying mainly comes from direct managers (30 per cent) and colleagues (28 per cent). Racist behaviour mostly comes from colleagues (33 per cent) and customers or clients (22 per cent).
Paul Nowak, TUC general secretary, said: "Black and ethnic minority workers are facing appalling and growing levels of racism and unfair treatment in Britain. This racism is plaguing the labour market – and it's getting worse."
The TUC is calling for urgent government action to tackle the problem. The union wants ring-fenced funding for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to enforce workplace protections.
It is pushing for mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting for companies with over 50 employees.
The TUC says the Employment Rights Act, which makes employers responsible for protecting workers from harassment by customers and clients, will be an important step forward.
The union also wants employers to treat racial harassment as a health and safety issue and monitor ethnicity data across recruitment, pay and promotions.