Brave Scots soldiers are facing financial ruin and deportation after serving our country on the frontline.
Former squaddie Paul Sweeney MP has revealed troops from Commonwealth countries are being ordered to pay £5000 to remain in the UK with their partners.
The bill is increased if they wanted to bring children to live with them .
Sweeney said soldiers – originally from Fiji and other countries – in the Royal Regiment of Scotland were penalised by a policy he described as the “last bastion of colonialism”.
He said: “The Windrush scandal and ongoing examples of the Home Office’s hostile environment demonstrate that our asylum and immigration system is badly failing and appallingly lacking in both compassion and efficiency.
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“This is just the latest manifestation of it – harming the very people who have laid down their lives in the service of our country, who are prepared to make the ultimate
sacrifice for our defence.”
Commonwealth personnel are exempt from UK immigration controls throughout their service but this exemption is removed immediately on discharge.
Those who wish to stay in the UK indefinitely, whether with their family or alone, are required to apply for indefinite leave
to remain.
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They are subject to several requirements and must pay a non-refundable fee of £2389 per person.
It means a former soldier and their partner are billed £4778 to continue to live in the UK, before taking children into account.
An MOD spokesman said overseas soldiers were highly valued.
He added: “As an outward-looking nation, Britain has always counted on the dedicated service of our friends from the Commonwealth to keep this country safe.”
