A former British army sergeant whose two sons are English rugby international players is stuck in Fiji, prevented by United Kingdom’s immigration rules from returning to the UK to take care of his wife who will be undergoing cancer treatment.
Ilaitia Cokanasiga, father of Joe and Philip Cokanasiga spent over almost 14 years in the armed forces and served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan says his immigration difficulties had stopped him from travelling to see his 22-year-old son play for England in the Rugby World Cup in Japan last year.
He is devastated being stranded 10,000 miles away from his family, unable to support his wife as she waits for an operation on a brain tumour.
He says he feels betrayed after what he did for the army and the country and everyone in the family is struggling to cope with the pressure of his wife’s poor health adding that he needs to return to take care of his wife.
Ilaitia’s account echoes the situation faced by hundreds of Commonwealth-born army veterans who face serious immigration problems, despite long periods of service in the military.
Earlier this week, the Guardian revealed that a group of soldiers recruited from Fiji were taking legal action after they were classified as illegal immigrants following their discharge from the army.
[Source: the guardian]
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