Sanity, justice and immigration law: Why the treatment of the Gurkhas should shame us all

Last updated at 22:42pm on 19th March 2008

Learco Chindamo is to be allowed to stay in Britain for the rest of his worthless life.
He is the Italian-born murderer who knifed headmaster Philip Lawrence to death outside his London school in 1995.
Yet we can't deport him, an immigration tribunal has ruled, because this would breach his human right to a 'family life'.

No such luck for Madan Kumar Gurung.
Home Office bureaucrats have ordered him out of the country after rejecting his application for leave to remain.
Never mind that he spent 24 years serving the British Crown in the Gurkhas, winning medals for exemplary conduct and long service.
Our human rights laws take no account of the gratitude we owe him and his comrades for risking their lives for us.
Yesterday, Mr Gurung was one of 50 former Gurkhas who handed back their medals, in a dignified protest against their treatment which should shame us all.
Isn't there something desperately wrong with a country that offers sanctuary to dangerous criminals and turns a blind eye to countless thousands of illegal migrants, while throwing the bureaucratic rulebook at our staunchest friends?
It's not only the Gurkhas - winners of 26 Victoria Crosses in two centuries of fighting alongside our troops - on whom Justice has turned her back.
Take Deborah Phillips, the sole carer for her 80-year-old British mother.
She moved to England when she was three.
Yet because her father was American, she and her seven-year-old daughter are to be thrown out next month, leaving her frail mother dependent on taxpayers for her care.
Or take Canadian-born Samantha Crozier, married to a British soldier.
Because of a footling problem with paperwork, she has been threatened with deportation and having to abandon her two children.
What about their rights to a family life? Or are those reserved for murderers?
After handing back his medal, Mr Gurung said this was "one of the saddest moments of my whole life".
Isn't it sad for the rest of us, too, that our immigration rules have abandoned all justice and sanity?

This is because the government is made up of cowards. They do not take action against the real problem makers because they know they actually have to fight them. But for those who have done good... they seem like fair targets don't they?
This is such horse s*** it makes my blood boil. And this is how you create enemies. Keep this up and British troops just might be facing Gurkhas fighting for the OTHER side.

Redneck - no-one would want to face the Gurkhas. Generations of my family have worked closely with them. Everything about them is the complete soldier, in my opinion and that of Brits generally - we luv 'em. I do not think the Brits will accept the decision. We want them here, there are our brothers - since 1815.

If anyone has the right to be British, it's them.

That's exactly what we (True Brits) are saying, and always have.

Originally Posted by Del Boy

That's exactly what we (True Brits) are saying, and always have.

Both of you?????


That is crap. He served the Crown he of all people should be given a pass and apat on the back and allowed to stay. That's what happens when bureaucrats are allowed to make decisions.

One of a few groups who are actually proud to be members of the Commonwealth, yet still suffer from the old British view of "colonials".

He served the Crown he of all people should be given a pass and apat on the back and allowed to stay.

Exactly my thought as well...

I served one month together with some Gurkhas from the 2nd Battalion, IV Ghurka Rifles, in South Lebanon.
They replaced us when we (Norway) left UNIFIL in 1998 so we had several of their soldiers and officers on "on-the-job" training in our company.
I must say that I was greatly impressed by their discipline and skills, even if some of the guys were a tiny bit "crazy"..
I did a search on Google and found a nice little story about the Gurkhas I had the honor to serve together with in Lebanon here:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...4/ai_n14215052

A great insight into one of Great Britains most honourable and loyal Regiments.

I remember them being based in Hong Kong c. 1969-70. From HMS Tamar we could hear the pipes of the Black Watch and the Gurkha regiment, both at morning parade and marching back to barracks of an afternoon The Scots playing Black Bear and the much faster Gurkha pace. I never hear the Gurkha marches any more, but Black Bear takes me straight back to Hong Kong of 40 years ago.

Ahhh... the memories.

Britain's colonial attitudes have a lot to answer for, both good and bad.

Well - In all honesty, I have never heard the word 'colonials' used by Brits to describe Commonwealth partners, so that must have died in days before my understanding. On the other hand I have heard it used, and used it myself, to accurately decribe colonial antique furniture etc.

To refer to people, the parlance has always been Aussies, Kiwis,Gurkhas etc.etc.
I think 'colonial' went out with the tea-planters. I don't think we have any out-dated hang-ups of this kind.

No - our Gurkha situation is a symptom of the result of the socialist attitudes of our Government, which has not been supportive of them.

BTW - The Gurkhas have a great touring military band, which sometimes appears in here with The Swindon Male Voice Choir. Fantastic.