Sajid Javid has issued an apology after the Home Office denied visas or leave to remain in the UK over applicants' failure to provide DNA evidence.
The home secretary told the House of Commons such demands for DNA evidence were "unacceptable", as he revealed relatives of Gurkhas were among those affected.
More than 130 people were forced to provide DNA samples, with more than 50 of those the children of Gurkhas who served in the UK military.
Telling MPs the provision of DNA evidence must be "entirely voluntary", Mr Javid said: "At the end of June, it was brought to our attention there were some immigration cases where the provision of DNA evidence had been made a requirement for the issuance of a visa or to grant leave to remain and it was not simply a request.
"Such demands are unacceptable. Today I want to take this opportunity to apologise to those who have been affected by this practice.
"The law in this context is that the provision of DNA evidence should always be voluntary and never mandatory."
Mr Javid told the Commons he was "determined to get to the bottom of how and why" people were compelled to provide DNA samples.
"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," he said.
The home secretary promised to "build an immigration system which provides control, but which is also fair, humane and fully compliant with the law".
More from Sajid Javid
Mr Javid's apology on Thursday comes as the Home Office continues to deal with the Windrush immigration scandal.
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