Let Gurkhas settle in UK: Lumley

2:38pm Monday 13th October 2008

Actress Joanna Lumley will join Gurkha soldiers in Parliament to fight for their right to settle in the UK.

Campaigners are pressurising the Government to implement new policy allowing veterans who left the service before 1997 to live here.

Last month a High Court judge ruled the Government's immigration policy excluding them was unlawful and in need of urgent review.

More than 2,000 former Gurkha soldiers have been refused permission to settle in the UK because they retired before July 1997.

Miss Lumley will be in the gallery of the House of Lords this afternoon with Justice campaign co-ordinator Peter Carroll to see the third reading of a bill which would see a change in the law.

She will then meet soldiers and supportive MPs.

Miss Lumley, whose own father served with the Gurkhas for 30 years, said: "I will be in Portcullis House asking for MPs on all sides of the House to support this bill and our Gurkha heroes.

"The fact that the bill has enjoyed cross Party support in the Lords is a magnificent and hopeful sign. The Government has a historic opportunity to put right this terrible wrong. Letting this bill stand will honour our debt."

A similar bill has been introduced in the House of Commons by Bob Russell, Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester.

Campaigners are hoping to garner a million signatures for their petition and persuade the Government to pass the new laws.

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