Shailesh Vara raises the issue of Commonwealth soldiers

• Keerthi Mohan
• 26 February, 2019

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By: Keerthi Mohan

AN ASIAN MP has raised concerns about Army recruits from the Commonwealth not being able to bring their families with them to the UK.

Conservative MP Shailesh Vara spoke about the British Army’s recruitment campaign in the Commonwealth during Prime Minister’s Questions last Wednesday (20).

Addressing Theresa May, Vara pointed out that “only after soldiers have signed up for minimum four-year contracts do they find out that they are not allowed to bring their children to this country.”

“Given that these brave women and men are prepared to put their lives on the line for us and our country, I hope that she will agree that this needs to be looked into urgently,” the MP said.

Responding to Vara, the prime minister said the Ministry of Defence said “it does make sure that information is available to individuals about what their situation will be.” However, she agreed to discuss the issue with Vara.

“This matter is not just of concern to the MoD; obviously, the issue of the immigration rules rests with the Home Office as well,” she added.

There are 4,500 Commonwealth soldiers in the British armed forces. From this year, the military is expected to enlist 1,350 Commonwealth recruits annually.

However, the soldiers struggle to meet the Home Office’s requirement to relocate their families.

A soldier’s basic pay after training is around £18,600 a year; the minimun requirement to bring over a child to the UK is £22,400,  with an additional £2,400 for each child thereafter. To bring their spouse to the UK, a foreign worker must earn £18,600 and to meet this minimum income threshold, many foreign workers are forced to take on second jobs.

The Army Families Federation (AFF) has branded the situation “immoral” and said foreign soldiers were invited by Britain to “fight for Queen and country”.

The federation told The Times that Commonwealth soldiers who were recruited between 2016 and 2018 had not been given details about the rules before enlisting.

They cannot quit because they are bound by a four-year minimum contract.

Several MPs have urged home secretary Sajid Javid to change immigration rules so that foreign soldiers can bring their families to the UK.

Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, who was a lieutenant colonel in the British Army, tweeted: “Commonwealth troops should be able to bring their kids to Britain. If they fight for us, they should be able to live with us.”