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Fijian British Army veterans sue UK government

March 9, 2020 12:45 pm

Eight Fijian nationals are taking legal action against the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Home Office

Eight Fijian nationals are taking legal action against the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Home Office.

The ex-soldiers claim their action is based on the alleged systemic failures that has left their immigration status in the UK in limbo affecting them severely.

The group of Fijian soldiers all served in the British Army on tours in Iraq and Afghanistan for more than seven years before been discharged.

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The men claim that the two government departments failed to assist them with the complex, unaffordable immigration rules on discharge, leaving them classified as illegal immigrants facing unemployment and homelessness and fearing deportation.

The UK Ministry of Defence rules note that Commonwealth-born service personnel are eligible for indefinite leave to remain in the UK after being discharged if they have served four years.

The eight claimants say the army failed to inform them that they needed to make an immediate application to the Home Office for leave to remain in the UK on the discharge, despite a clear MoD requirement that the process should be explained to all non-British veterans in the period before they leave the army.

Vinita Templeton, the lawyer representing the men says she has seen unimaginable suffering by servicemen who only discovered their immigration status after discharge.

Templeton says they have delivered their outline of proposed litigation to the government and have given them 28 days to respond.

This is the first time legal action of this nature is being pursued and it’s been supported by a Non-Governmental Organization – Commonwealth Neglected Veterans which was set up last year in response to the growing concern.