The HEAR study: Participatory research exploring how Gurkha & Fijian Veterans of the UK armed forces describe their experiences

Abstract: There is increasing attention upon the challenges facing ‘non-UK’ (formerly known as Commonwealth & Foreign) personnel of the UK Armed Forces in academic research, campaigns and public awareness. However, the communities existing under the ‘non-UK’ banner are diverse and have complex histories and relationships to the UK Armed Forces. This mixed methods study sought to investigate the specific issues facing personnel from Nepal (largely serving as British Army Gurkhas) and Fiji (as an example of Commonwealth member state) from their time in the military and beyond. Within this project we: Analysed quantitative data drawn from the King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) to compare physical and mental health symptoms of i) Gurkha, ii) Fijian and a iii) diverse group of British ethnic minority personnel with a white British comparison group. Employed a Community-Engaged Research approach (CEnR) to interview Gurkha and Fijian veterans from different generations to better understand how historical and contemporary examples of discrimination impact veterans and their communities to this day.In our quantitative analysis, we found that the ethnicity of our samples was related to different physical and mental health symptoms. This may relate to differences in patterns of reporting or differences in health needs. We found that Gurkha and the British ethnic minority samples reported better physical and mental health compared to a white British sample. Fijian personnel in our sample demonstrated more of a mixed picture, reporting higher levels of certain somatic symptoms and traumatic stress symptoms. It must be noted that this was a predominantly serving sample and sample sizes were small so results cannot be generalised. The interview component of the study supported this complex picture by highlighting Fijian and Gurkha veterans’ areas of strength, as well as various hardships, including mental health challenges. In particular, the study shed light on: Serious discrimination of Gurkhas serving before 1997. Gurkha participants described being disadvantaged by a series of systemic caps upon their length of service, slower tracks for promotion, extended periods of family separation (over years), and unequal entitlements to benefits (e.g. National Insurance, family separation allowance and pensions). Some of the issues raised within this report have since been resolved; for example, parity of pensions was given to those serving post-1997 (but not before 1997), changes to immigration regulations granted eligibility for those serving before 1997 to apply for the Indefinite Leave to Enter (ILE) in 2009, and the substantial costs for the Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application were reduced for personnel in 2022. The analysis took into account other factors, such as age and deployment status. We observed how unfair historical policies still impact an ageing Gurkha veteran population. These caused distress, affected earning potential and now this cohort struggles with financial problems and difficulties accessing benefit entitlements (e.g. state pension), and health, social and welfare services. For those serving more recently, Gurkha and Fijian personnel share many challenges affecting British military personnel (family separation, injury, barriers to promotion, stressors relating to military-to-civilian transition), but these experiences are complicated by i) their position as ‘other’ in a predominantly white British institution and ii) exposures that do not affect British personnel (e.g. longer periods and distances from family and key supports; persisting attitudes of racism in service and local communities; deployment restrictions related to non-UK passports, navigating immigration processes for themselves and for their family members).Gurkha and Fijian military personnel recounted instances of achievement and resilience that define their military service and in which they take pride. However, these may, in part, be attributable to coping with discriminatory practices in recent history and the present. Challenges included examples of mistreatment; the need to prove themselves above and beyond other British recruits; overcoming barriers to promotion; striving to attain a level of rank that will allow them to bring family to the UK and additional hurdles surrounding residency and family separation.