The announcement that a 5-year residency qualification has been introduced for soldiers from Commonwealth countries wanting to join Britain’s Armed Forces has been greeted with shock by Veterans Aid.
CEO Hugh Milroy said, “We understand that MoD is reducing the size of the Army but this targeted identification of Commonwealth citizens sends a mixed message – and it will not address the many residence legacy issues that this charity is still dealing with on a daily basis.
“Since Veterans Aid championed the case of Fijian-born soldier Isimeli Baleiwei, almost exactly a year ago, we have been inundated with appeals for help from serving personnel, veterans – and their families – who face hardship because of legal anomalies surrounding residency. There is a human cost to political decisions and the ethical dimension is often overlooked when laws are made to address single issues”.
There are around 51 nationalities in the British Army, thousands of serving personnel are drawn from Foreign & Commonwealth countries. More than one million died fighting for Britain in WW1 and many have been decorated for valour.
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