Joanna lumley gurkha campaign: Gurkhas settlement rights uk

joanna lumley gurkha campaign: Gurkhas settlement rights uk


Joanna Lumley led a highly successful 2009 campaign to grant Gurkha veterans the right to settle in the UK, which reversed a long-standing policy of discrimination. A key part of the campaign, the Gurkha Justice Campaign, aimed to provide settlement rights for those who had served before 1997. As a result, approximately 8,000 former soldiers and their families have since been able to move to Britain.
Key aspects of the campaign
Goal: The primary goal was to secure settlement rights in the UK for Gurkha veterans who retired before 1997 and were previously denied this right.
Motivation: Lumley, whose father was a Gurkha officer, became the public face of the campaign after being moved by the plight of some veterans and the lack of settlement rights.
Publicity: The campaign garnered significant media attention and public support.
Public pressure: Lumley and her supporters, including a cross-party group of politicians, presented a petition with 250,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street in 2009.
Campaign outcome: In 2009, the UK government reversed its policy, granting settlement rights to Gurkhas who served for at least four years.
Impact: This led to approximately 8,000 former soldiers and their families moving to the UK.
Continued advocacy
Lumley continues to advocate for Gurkhas, including supporting later campaigns for pension equality for those who retired before 1997.
She has called on the government to meet with Gurkha veterans who are still on hunger strike over unequal pension rights.