After long battle, Gurkhas get right to settle in Britain

LONDON —  The storied Nepalese warriors who have served in the British military for nearly two centuries were given the automatic right Thursday to settle in Britain, gaining a hard-won victory after years of lawsuits and lobbying.

Actress Joanna Lumley, whose advocacy for Gurkhas made her the public face of the campaign, said the decision made it “a fantastic day for my brothers and sisters.” She joined Gurkhas gathered outside Parliament in screams of “Ayo Gurkhali!” (the Gurkhas are coming) -- the soldiers’ famous battle cry.

The Gurkhas have served Britain with distinction since 1815, through the conflagrations of the 20th century and into the 21st.

More than 100,000 enlisted in World War I, and similar numbers in WWII. Thirteen have been awarded Britain’s highest military honor, the Victoria Cross.

Nevertheless, British officials have long resisted the Gurkhas’ campaign for more rights, and in 2004 allowed only those who had retired after July 1, 1997, to settle in the country.

It had argued that those who retired before that date -- when the Gurkha base was in Hong Kong -- had weak links with Britain.

Other Gurkhas had to apply on a case-by-case basis, which campaigners said left out thousands of Nepalese veterans because the requirements were too stringent. The government had said lifting the restrictions would lead to a flood of up to 100,000 Nepalese migrants that could cost the British taxpayer $2.2 billion.

That argument was thrown out this week when a committee of lawmakers wrote the prime minister a letter saying the projected immigration figures had been “greatly overblown.”

In Nepal, former Gurkha soldiers said they were planning to celebrate.

“We have struggled and fought for years to get these rights, and finally we have achieved it,” said Capt. Kul Prasad Pun, who served 24 years before retiring in 1994.

A dispute over Gurkhas’ pension rights continues. Gurkhas who retired before the 1997 date receive less than those who retired later. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said Thursday that the government’s position was unchanged.