This is so typical. The government never do the righ thing. Have a convicted rapist enter the country then he can stay. Decent people are left to their own devices.

C. Darken, Nantwich, UK

Well done Denmark - shame on UK. Disgracefull

Do the right thing...they helped us, let them come here.

We get so many criminals coming here who have contributed nothing - fanatics who slag us off - and they get in easy. Kick them out, let these Iraqis in.

Phil, Preston,

I worked with CPA – South, in Basra in 2004. One of our staff was a delightful and capable Iraqi woman. She later transferred to the British Consulate staff. On 19th June 2006, as she and her husband were leaving work, they were attacked and shot. The lady survived, although with multiple gunshot wounds but her husband died at the scene as did their unborn child. Despite campaigning by former CPA staff, the UK authorities refused to allow this lady to travel to the UK, because they “did not want to set a precedent”. Are multiple AK47 wounds, not sufficient proof of being at risk? Eventually the lady was granted asylum in Australia.

Right now, the former consular Visa officer is desperately trying to apply for assylum. 80% of his former colleagues are dead, but the FCO is asking him to prove that he is at risk.

David Williams, Leamington Spa, UK

As brutal as they were to other peoples the romans offered citizenship to those who provided exceptional service to the empire. Sadly the faceless civil serviceappears to have fogotten their Oxbridge classics education-more shame on them

chris lee, chester,

I have had personal experience of the vital work these interpreters do and sadly, of the cost some have paid. These people deserve our support and it is a new low for the government not to recognise this.

Chris, Trowbridge, UK

With this as a precedent, who will ever volunteer to work for us in future in such a situation? If we accept their service then we owe them protection. Loyalty is a two-way street, a fact which our smug, craven officials and politicians are inclined to forget. What a dreadful example this sets, to out interpreters, our allies, our soldiers and the world!

Richard, Dunstable,

Isn't it telling that the policy of refusal in this matter apparently came directly from Blair's senior aides ? So much for the anti-racism and political correctness of that coterie. If Blair actually has the conscience and sense of moral virtue he so often paraded to the public in his speeches he would pick up the phone to Brown and get this sorted out. These brave people helped both the Government and their own country and now face retribution - we took similarly placed interpreters from the Balkans whose lives were threatened - and we should find a safe haven for those in Iraq who are at worse risk. Will Cameron and Campbell show their decency and take up this matter directly with Brown ?

jpsharpe, Chiang Mai, Thailand

"extremist militias who accuse them of colluding with the enemy".

How on earth could the extremists get the idea that helping an invading army - that over a sovereign state in breach of the most basic of international law obligations - could possibly be described as collusion? Crazy!

Joe, brussels, belgium

Surely it is within the power of the British Government to find a local Government like Kuwait who we helped liberate, who can offer these people Asylum.
It would not just be the right thing to do but would also be in our own national interest to support these people in that third country until such time as it deemed safe.

AlexP, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

I cannot believe that a British Government could even think this way. It is a betrayal of these brave Iraqi interpreters, and our troops fighting in a dreadful war who depend on them for information that saves soldiers and civilian lives.

How Nick Banner had the stomach to sign such a letter of rejection to the interpreter who asked Tony Blair for assistance is simply beyond me - doesn't he watch the news?

These interpreters of course should be looked after. And fast.

Chris Clark, Ruislip Manor, UK

The Foreign Office and Home Office exhibit themselves in a very bad light. They exclude these 91 people only because they can. Having completely failed to exclude hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants or to eject thousands of failed asulum seekers, they manage a small and inglorious victory over people who have a real claim to our help and protection. Of course, senior Army officers having asked for these people to have been granted asylum will not have helped, bearing in mind the petty jealousy of the Foreign and Home Offices for the armed services who are perenially pulling their mistakes out of the fire. How short sighted and small minded, true reflection of their recent master.

Peter Haldane, London, UK

I am really ashamed of our actions. We decided to invade a country because of WMD. Mr Blair tried to convince the public that we are doing the right thing - we encourage the people of Iraq to help us by telling them that they are doing the 'right thing'. Now we open a Pandora's box and cant close it - we pull out. But as usual we are not doing the 'right thing' by the people who helped our British Forces some whom have given their lives for queen and country. Come on Mr Brown - DO THE RIGHT THING!!

yassin sayfoo, Croydon, Surrey

If true, this is outrageous - what official comments have been made on this by HMG?

m, Houston,

Why should anyone be surprised when you consider the way we treated the Gurkhas?

A more important consideration is surely that these people could be instantly useful to -and employable by- the intelligence services with their unparalleled command of the Iraqi and English languages, and in depth knowledge of the situation on the ground.

Homer, London,

I agree with the comments posted so far; it's nothing short of a disgrace that the Government refuses to give asylum to those who have given us a huge amount of help, especially when they so clearly face considerable danger. This also doesn't compare favourably with the number of far less deserving cases who are routinely granted asylum.

I wish I could say I was surprised, but it seems that for a long time now your contribution to the State has counted for nothing when it comes to getting something back in return.

James McQuaid, Stoke-on-Trent, England

It is an absolute disgrace not to offer those who have risked their lives for the UK armed forces the right of asylum in the UK.

It is however indicative of the utterly shambolic state of Iraq today and the part the UK have played in it's current condition.

It is the very least we could do to help.

Will Simpson, Wandsworth,

This should surely be a no brainer. If these people dont deserve asylum in our country, then who does?

This just confirms the muddled-up, messed-up thinking that passes for policy.

It is not inspiring at all.

David , Glasgow,

Our government's approach to immigration has got out of hand. Immigration officers descend on hapless, working families who have applied for asylum within the system at 4 in the morning, round them up, and deport them. Meanwhle, illegal immigrant gangsters roam the streets unchallenged and we fail to deport violent criminals - the immigration service has the mentality of a bully, that picks predominantly on the easy targets. This news is just part of the same policy. Sometimes I feel ashamed to be British.

Jamie Gilmour, Bolton, UK

This is unbelievable - how can we not support the interpreters? Someone in the government has to change this. Is there a petition or anything?

Matthew, London,

This is dreadful. Is there a petition? Are any MPs doing anthing?

Penny, Milton Keynes, Bucks

The problem with the way things are run in Britain is that the bureaucrats who make these decisions are faceless. They should be put on television and asked how they would feel if put in the shoes of an Iraqi who has risked his or her life to do Britain's bidding in the name of freedom. Are they incapable of understanding what it is like to be used and then discarded like a bit of Kleenex? Are these people flesh and blood? Or maybe they are brainwashed into a form of arrogance and inhumanity that has caused so much unnecessary suffering over the centuries. These people should be given protection and if they are not then the induviduals who refuse to offer it to them should have to explain their reasons in public. Enough damage has been done by the Bush/Blair alliance without adding to it.

Richard Evans, Richmond,

I am so ashamed to be British.

Steve Byrne, Christchurch, UK

But this is typical of the way Britain treats its Armed Forces. Poor equipment, poor food, and now betrayal. What is the point of an asylum system if the genuine candidates are turned away? Outrageous.

Francis Tuttle, Madrid,

You Brits owe them. I would be glad to see them taken in by us ( the U.S.A.) if you Brits let them hang out to dry..

Jerry Scroggin, Phoenix, Arizona/USA

Another disgraceful British government betrayal of those who risk their lives in defence of British interests.

There is a long history of shame behind these actions including, to my own knowledge, the squalid refusal to compensate non-British volunteers from South America, who fought in WW2, and probably WW1, while some Brits based in the continent sat tight. The latest betrayal was the rejection of the Gurkha V.C. as having no substantial British links!

Of course, any religious loony who wishes to enter Britain to subvert the country and promote beating up of women, jihadism etc. is welcomed with open arms.

Isn't it time that decision making were taken out of the hands of the public school, Oxbridge and other 'uppah clahs' jerks who dominate the Civil Service and British political class, and put in the hands of people who know something about life. The Civil Service jerks could be posted to Iraq and Afghanistan to clear mines, in the way the Iranians used kids in the 1980s.

L.W., Montevideo, Uruguay

This is an absolute disgrace. These people have helped save the lives of British soldiers and provided our troops with the means to carry out their jobs. By doing so they have not only put themselves at risk but also their families. If the Americans can take in 7000 and the danes 200 why can't we help out ?

Will Cavanagh, Chester-Le-Street, UK

It would be good - if unusual - for a British government to show common sense and decency by looking after these people. I cannot believe there is even a need to press the bureaucrats on this.

dhrowlands, cardiff,

Emotional claptrap I'm afraid. None of these Iraqis risked their lives for Britain's mission in Iraq. They did a job of work for pay.

Derek S, Dundee,

The British Government should quite clearly step up to the plate and do the right and decent thing by these people and their families.

Matthew, london, UK

It is unbelievable that we will not let these men and their families come come to the UK. Shows this governments contempt for our military.

R. E. Maclean, Glasgow, Scotland

This Government is an absolute disgrace - they will open the flood gates, to economic, opportunist and downright scrounching immigrants both illegal or otherwise but anyone who has ever made a contribution to the UK gets nothing back.

How long can this carry on... they could try something reciprocal like take in the Iraqi's and throw out a corresponding number of illlegals?

Marc, HK,