Gurkha officer fights to stop deportation of his ‘frail’ sister
A DECORATED Gurkha soldier is battling the Home Office to stop his 75-year-old sister being deported.
Major Udaibahadar Gurung, who served for 31 years in the Army before retiring in 2000, says Lal Suba Gurung, who is sharing his home in Colchester, is a frail widow in poor health.
She is due to be deported in the next few weeks to Nepal, he says, but she cannot return to her old house as it has been unused since the 2015 earthquake, which left it structurally unsafe and she has no family nearby.
After recruit training in Malaysia in 1969, Major Gurung, now chairman of the Colchester Nepalese Society, served in Hong Kong, Brunei, South Korea, Germany, New Zealand, the Falkland Islands as well as the UK.
He commanded HQ Company of 1st Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles, the unit Prince Harry deployed to Afghanistan with in 2008.
Major Gurung said: “Lal was due to visit in May 2015 but the earthquake hit in April. She came to the UK and when her six months here were up, she asked if she could stay as her home had been damaged. We applied for her to stay in September 2015 but this was rejected by the Home Office.”
The family appealed the Home Office decision at a second hearing in April this year. They were told they could make a fresh application for a visa, but her circumstances must have changed for it to be approved.
Although her family disagree, the Home Office believes she would have sufficient support back in Nepal.
If she returns, she will not be able to return to the UK for five years.
Major Gurung says his family will happily pay her expenses. “I am reciprocating her selfless time, devotion and dedication rendered to the family over her entire life,” he said. He added: “I am paying for medical insurance every month, I take her to private GPS and we don’t use the NHS.
“She is suffering from some major ailments. I’m not asking for help from the Government, I am asking for a visa so she can live well in this country as she has no one in Nepal.”
Lal said: “Over the past few years I have been with my brother’s family, I feel I am looked after extremely well. Here, I get a loving home and care. It will be very difficult for me to leave my whole family and return to Nepal.”
A Home Office spokesman told The Daily Telegraph: “All cases are carefully considered on their individual merits, including any compassionate circumstances, and in line with the UK immigration rules.
“The decision made in this case has been supported by two independent immigration tribunals.”