FORMER Defence Minister and Ludllow MP Philip Dunne has welcomed the end of visa fees for Commonwealth and Gurkha soldiers, which came into force recently.

Commonwealth personnel and Gurkhas who have served in the UK Armed Forces for six or more years, or who left before this due to injury, will no longer have to pay fees of £2,389 to continue to live in the UK following service in the UK’s Armed Forces.

Mr Dunne, who is one of only two MPs to be a Commonwealth War Graves Commissioner, had campaigned with others over some years to raise the plight of non-UK serving personnel and their families facing the threat of separation and deportation after years of loyal service in our Armed Forces, because they have been unable to pay Indefinite Leave to Remain fees.

“Anyone who speaks to service personnel knows the vast contribution Commonwealth and Gurkha troops make to our Armed Forces,” said Mr Dunne.

“I have long believed that charging long-serving members of our Armed Forces to remain here after their service ends was not right, and I am delighted that these charges have been scrapped.

“There are still challenges to overcome in terms of family visas, but this is a very welcome step, and I commend the work of campaigners and the British Legion in helping to bring this about.”

The involvement of Gurkha soldiers with the British Army dates back to the time of the East India Company.

They are soldiers that originate from south east Asia, many of them from the Napal area

During World War II (1939–1945) there were 10 Gurkha regiments, with two battalions each, making a total of 20 pre-war battalions. Following the Dunkirk evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940, the Nepalese government offered to increase recruitment to enlarge the number of Gurkha battalions in British service to 35.

This was increased to 43.

The high profile actress Joanna Lumley made headlines when she helped Gurkhas who retired before 1997 win the right to settle in the UK. Gurkha welfare groups and the Home office estimate that about 8,000 former soldiers and their families have since moved to Britain.