Go on home british soldiers, go on home!

wendell borton

Channel 4 News has uncovered at least 15 cases where troops
from Fiji, Jamaica and other Commonwealth nations
have been refused British citizenship following their discharge from service;
lost all rights to work, healthcare and benefits; and been labelled "not of good
character" by the UK Border Agency.

http://www.channel4.com/news/disciplined-fc-soldiers-should-have-british-citizenship

Have you got no ****ing homes of your own?:pac:

starbelgrade

The same thing happened Spike Milligan which is how he ended up with an Irish passport.

Britain's loss in my opinion.

Seanchai

wendell borton wrote: »

http://www.channel4.com/news/disciplined-fc-soldiers-should-have-british-citizenship

Have you got no ****ing homes of your own?:pac:

Ha. Ha, in so many ways. Chewed up and spat out like the bullying cannonfodder mercenaries for the Butcher's Apron that they are.

El Guapo!

If it's only minor offences then not granting them citizenship seems like a pretty shítty thing to do since they served the country.

You might get a better response to this in the Military Forum by the way.

El Guapo!

Quoted the bulk of the article for people on mobile. (Or those too lazy to click the link )

Channel 4 News revealed on Sunday that former Foreign and Commonwealth (F&S) soldier, Fijian, Lance Corporal Isimeli "Bale" Baleiwai had been refused British citizenship after voluntarily leaving the Army and is due to be deported on the 9 August.

Under current rules Foreign and Commonwealth troops can claim British citizenship after four years of military service. But a new law, which appears to be increasingly used against foreign soldiers who have been disciplined at commanding officer level, is leaving them without basic rights or status.

Foreign and Commonwealth soldiers who are dealt with summarily for minor charges while serving are finding that when they leave the Armed Forces those misdemeanours are being treated as civil crimes. Having a criminal record then precludes them from getting citizenship or legal right to remain in the UK. Once identified as "illegals" they become subject to deportation.



Former Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mike Jackson told Channel 4 News on Thursday: "It seems very harsh to deny a soldier who has given that service to this country, to deny him the opportunity of settling here if that's what he wishes.

"If it's just about a relatively minor offence committed as a young man, in my view there should be discretion here."

Channel 4 News has uncovered at least 15 cases where troops from Fiji, Jamaica and other Commonwealth nations have been refused British citizenship following their discharge from service; lost all rights to work, healthcare and benefits; and been labelled "not of good character" by the UK Border Agency.

"These Commonwealth soldiers serve this country, and do it extremely well," said Sir Mike. "That service, taking the risk if need be of death itself, and giving this country the benefit of their service has to be taken into account as a very big plus point."

A UK Border Agency spokesperson told Channel 4 News: "Applications for settlement from former HM Forces personnel are considered in the same way as all other applications for settlement. This involves consideration of a range of factors including unspent convictions, whether passed by military courts or resulting from police involvement."

Mint Sauce

wendell borton wrote: »

http://www.channel4.com/news/disciplined-fc-soldiers-should-have-british-citizenship

Have you got no ****ing homes of your own?:pac:

Why not considering all they done for British forces and the 'Empire'. Was a similar campaign for the Gurkhas that ran for years before they could get British Citizenship.

mikom

As I was walking down the road
A feeling fine and larky oh
A recruiting sergeant came up to me
Says he, you'd look fine in khaki oh
For the King he is in need of men
Come read this proclamation oh
A life in Flanders for you then
Would be a fine vacation oh

That may be so says I to him
But tell me sergeant dearie-oh
If I had a pack stuck upon my back
Would I look fine and cheerie oh
For they'd have you train and drill until
They had you one of the Frenchies oh
It may be warm in Flanders
But it's draughty in the trenches oh

The sergeant smiled and winked his eye
His smile was most provoking oh
He twiddled and twirled his wee mustache
Says he, I know you're only joking oh
For the sandbags are so warm and high
The wind you won't feel blowing oh
Well I winked at a cailin passing by
Says I, what if it's snowing oh

Come rain or hail or wind or snow
I'm not going out to Flanders oh
There's fighting in Dublin to be done
Let your sergeants and your commanders go
Let Englishmen fight English wars
It's nearly time they started oh
I saluted the sergeant a very good night
And there and then we parted oh

Seanchai

mikom wrote: »

As I was walking down the road
A feeling fine and larky oh
A recruiting sergeant came up to me
Says he, you'd look fine in khaki oh
For the King he is in need of men
Come read this proclamation oh
A life in Flanders for you then
Would be a fine vacation oh

That may be so says I to him
But tell me sergeant dearie-oh
If I had a pack stuck upon my back
Would I look fine and cheerie oh
For they'd have you train and drill until
They had you one of the Frenchies oh
It may be warm in Flanders
But it's draughty in the trenches oh

The sergeant smiled and winked his eye
His smile was most provoking oh
He twiddled and twirled his wee mustache
Says he, I know you're only joking oh
For the sandbags are so warm and high
The wind you won't feel blowing oh
Well I winked at a cailin passing by
Says I, what if it's snowing oh

Come rain or hail or wind or snow
I'm not going out to Flanders oh
There's fighting in Dublin to be done
Let your sergeants and your commanders go
Let Englishmen fight English wars
It's nearly time they started oh
I saluted the sergeant a very good night
And there and then we parted oh

Very good. I've never heard that. Elvis Costello wrote a song years back called 'Any King's Shilling' about his Irish-born father who joined the British forces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um_flXjXuDI

The anti-recruiting song I love most is Arthur McBride, collected in the first half of the 19th century in Limerick and Donegal. It was made famous in recent years by Paul Brady and Andy Irvine's 1977 version.

Oh, me and my cousin, one Arthur McBride
As we went a-walking down by the seaside
Now, mark what followed and what did betide
For it being on Christmas morning...
Out for recreation, we went on a tramp
And we met Sergeant Napper and Corporal Vamp
And a little wee drummer, intending to camp
For the day being pleasant and charming.

"Good morning ! Good morning!" the sergeant did cry
"And the same to you gentlemen!" we did reply ,
Intending no harm but meant to pass by
For it being on Christmas morning.
But says he, "My fine fellows if you will enlist,
It's ten guineas in gold I will slip in your fist
And a crown in the bargain for to kick up the dust
And drink the King's health in the morning.

For a soldier he leads a very fine life
And he always is blessed with a charming young wife
And he pays all his debts without sorrow or strife
And always lives pleasant and charming...
And a soldier he always is decent and clean
In the finest of clothing he's constantly seen
While other poor fellows go dirty and mean
And sup on thin gruel in the morning."

"But", says Arthur, "I wouldn't be proud of your clothes
For you've only the lend of them as I suppose
And you dare not change them one night, for you know
If you do you'll be flogged in the morning.
And although that we are single and free
we take great delight in our own company
And we have no desire strange faces to see
Although that your offers are charming
And we have no desire to take your advance
All hazards and dangers we barter on chance
For you would have no scruples for to send us to France
Where we would get shot without warning"

"Oh now!", says the sergeant "I'll have no such chat
And I neither will take it from spalpeen or brat
For if you insult me with one other word
I'll cut off your heads in the morning"
And then Arthur and I we soon drew our hods
And we scarce gave them time for to draw their own blades
When a trusty shillelagh came over their heads
And bade them take that as fair warning

And their old rusty rapiers that hung by their side
We flung them as far as we could in the tide
"Now take them out, Divils!", cried Arthur McBride
"And temper their edge in the morning".
And the little wee drummer we flattened his pow
And we made a football of his rowdeydowdow
Threw it in the tide for to rock and to row
And bade it a tedious returning

And we having no money, paid them off in cracks
And we paid no respect to their two bloody backs
For we lathered them there like a pair of wet sacks
And left them for dead in the morning.
And so to conclude and to finish disputes
We obligingly asked if they wanted recruits
For we were the lads who would give them hard clouts
And bid them look sharp in the morning.

Oh me and my cousin, one Arthur McBride
As we went a walkin' down by the seaside,
Now mark what followed and what did betide
For it being on Christmas morning

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99UBSe05K5M

mikom

Seanchai wrote: »

Very good. I've never heard that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RXfmLQejrg

Now you have.....

mike65

Jasus is this the weekly Brit bash thread?
Someone should give them Joanna Lumleys phone number.

mikom

mike65 wrote: »

Jasus is this the weekly Brit bash thread?
Someone should give them Joanna Lumleys phone number.

I'll take it too if you have it handy.

Ghandee

Biggins

wendell borton wrote: »

http://www.channel4.com/news/disciplined-fc-soldiers-should-have-british-citizenship

Have you got no ****ing homes of your own?:pac:

Sounds familiar like the Gurka issue some time back.

Pottler

Government in "treating Army boys like sh1te shocker".
They do tend to also send them out to places where the locals try and shoot them you know. And blow bits of them off. How come that's fine and dandy, but not giving them a visa is a big deal?? Ah, I love you Billy, feck off and fight them mad lads for me wouuldya, ya clown in a costume. And straighten up while you're at it. I did two weeks of basic, decided it was a crock of sh1te for mugs and told the Sargeant where he could shove his "make your bed neater".
"Go polish your own boots ya cnut" I believe were the deal-breaking words I managed to come up with.