UK apologises for immigrant DNA tests

The UK home secretary Sajid Javid has apologised today to people who were wrongly forced to take DNA tests to prove that they were entitled to settle in the UK.

Mr Javid said the demands made in letters sent to foreign parents of British children seeking to stay in the UK were unacceptable. Relatives of Gurkhas and Afghan nationals employed by the UK government were among at least 130 people affected.

The Home Office launched an internal review four months ago after admitting officials wrongly forced immigrants to take DNA tests.

"Today I want to take this opportunity to apologise to those affected by this practice," Mr Javid told MPs. He said that more than 50 of the people affected were the children of Gurkhas who fought in the UK military. Gurkhas, who are Nepalese, have been part of the British Army for more than 200 years.

He told MPs: "I am determined to get to the bottom of how and why, in some cases, people were compelled to provide DNA in the first place. "Across our immigration system, no-one should face a demand to supply DNA evidence and no-one should have been penalised for not providing it."

Mr Javid said he would be reviewing the immigration system to ensure it was "fair and humane".