Podcast: how the immigration system froze out Commonwealth soldiers

Share:

Listens: 0

Free Movement

Miscellaneous


You don’t have to be British to work here, but it helps. Citizens of the 54 Commonwealth countries can serve in the British Army and other branches of the armed forces, and are eligible to settle in the UK after discharge if they have served for at least four years. But settlement isn’t automatic, and over the years too many have ended up without the immigration status they were promised. While the situation has improved in recent years, the sheer cost of indefinite leave to remain — £2,389, or over £10,000 for a family of four — means that some remain frozen out despite policies designed to help them.  On...