Gurkhas victims of UK immigration scam
March 11 2010 by Liam Clifford
Unscrupulous UK immigration fraudsters have begun targeting Gurkhas who won the right to live in the UK after a high profile appeal last year.
The former military men, mainly
hailing from Nepal, can apply for a UK visa to move to the UK, but are being
told by fraudsters that they must pay a fortune for the privilege. Some have
paid up to £500 to phony visa agents who offer advice and help in applying for
their UK visas, and are also giving them misleading advice about the housing and
benefits they can claim once they are settled in the UK. Annabelle Fuller of the
Army Benevolent Fund said, "they come with no idea of the expense of living in a
country where the basic cost of setting up a rented home is
£2,000".
The discovery was made through an investigation by the Daily
Mail and has been presented to MPs. Defence Minister Kevan Jones said he was
angered by the findings. He stated that he is, “extremely disappointed that
certain organisations who purported to be on the side of the Gurkhas now appear
to be exploiting them.” He added that free immigration advice for Gurkhas on
settling in the UK is offered through the Ministry of Defence.
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