Punjab-origin man who helped Asians settle in the UK passes away

Community leader Master Malkiat Singh Jaspal helped immigrants who could not read and write prepare citizenship applications in his spare time

Master Malkiat Singh Jaspal, who arrived in the UK in 1963 and over the decades helped many people from India and Asia to complete immigration papers and settle has passed away aged 86, his family said.

Master Malkiat Singh Jaspal arrived in the UK in 1963. He helped build the Dartford Tunnel as his first job. (HT Photo)

Born in 1934 in Isharwal village of Punjab’s Jalandhar district, the community leader spent his spare time helping immigrants who could not read and write to prepare citizenship applications and advising them of their rights in the UK. He worked as a crane driver in Wolverhampton.

His son, Wolverhampton councillor and former mayor Milkinder Jaspal, said he passed away peacefully on Sunday.

“He wanted to help others settle in and never charged them a penny. He was an extremely generous and caring man and as a family we are really proud of him,” he said.

Married to Sardarni Nashatar Kaur in 1952, Jaspal landed at Heathrow in July 1963. He first lived in Gravesend and as his first job he helped build the Dartford Tunnel. He moved to Wolverhampton later that year.

Jaspal’s parents were Safedposh Hukam Singh and Sardarni Amar Kaur Rai. His grandfather Sardar Sawn Singh was a noted wrestler, his son said.