“Let Baleiwai Stay” campaign gathers pace

Isimeli Baleiwai faces deportation, and separation from his wife and children because he is not a British citizen.

13 years service in the British army with the Edinburgh-headquartered Royal Regiment of Scotland has not entitled him to the citizenship promised to Commonwealth soldiers because of a bureaucratic loophole. Baleiwai is the subject of an online Meadowbank-based campaign to have himself and other ex-soldiers recognised as citizens, which was launched this week.

Lance Corporal Isimeli Baleiwai fought on behalf of Britain’s interests as part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. He served the Queen, paid taxes and national insurance on his earnings and risked his life on the battlefields of Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan during his 13 years in the British army. He is now afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder from his tour in Afghanistan, but with his uniform off and his service behind him, Baleiwai is no longer entitled to live, work or claim benefits in Britain and must leave the country by 9 August 2012.

In 2010 another soldier picked a fight with him, which is said to have lasted but a minute and the summary hearing in front of his commanding officer lasted ten. The former soldier says he had no legal representation and no witnesses were called. Baleiwai was told he had broken the other man’s jaw, and that five fellow soldiers would attest to his acting in self-defence. Baleiwai accepted his punishment, thinking the small incident would be a minor mark on his record, but under new Home Office rules, any punishments incurred during military service are considered equivalent to a criminal record, and Baleiwai is now considered to be a person “not of good character” by the Borders Agency.

Baleiwai’s case is being used as an example of how the new rules are failing Britain’s Commonwealth soldiers. The campaign to let him stay in Britain with his family is quickly gathering place, with 11,000 signatures on the petition within a week. Baleiwai is gaining some high-profile supporters, including comedian Eddie Izzard.

A scathing report from members of the Home Affairs committee today has said there is a backlog of 275,000 immigrants who should be removed from the country, an estimated 4,000 of whom are criminals and 57 are convicted criminals released from prison and not yet deported. Baleiwai is one of this number. His wife and two children hold UK passports, but he does not.

The Sunday Telegraph exposes the loophole of which Baleiwai claims he is a victim. Commonwealth soldiers recruited to bolster British army numbers were promised British citizenship after four years service, but under new rules, military punishments are considered equal to a criminal record, negating a soldier’s right to citizenship. Veterans groups have criticised this change to regulations, and report “dozens” of cases like Baleiwai’s every month.

If you would like to support the campaign to help Isimeli Baleiwai and others like him, follow letbaleiwaistay on Twitter.