Posted on 09/03/2003 3:25:43 PM PDT by blam
Immigrants 'should pass Britishness test'
(Filed: 03/09/2003)
Immigrants who want a UK passport should have free English lessons and pass a new "Britishness test".
A blueprint for the compulsory new exam said applicants should learn about the history of the UK. An earlier version of the proposals published in January was criticised for concentrating on how to claim benefits and use the NHS, and for insisting that learning about Britain's history "should not be an imposed pre-condition".
David Blunkett, Home Secretary, unveiled the proposals, drawn up by the Life in the United Kingdom Advisory Panel, alongside its chairman Sir Bernard Crick.
Sir Bernard was appointed by Mr Blunkett to plan a compulsory citizenship programme for the 120,000 immigrants a year, including some asylum seekers, who win British citizenship.
Panel members rejected the idea that all applicants should reach a certain level of language ability. Instead, they should be assessed on their progress in English and would have to improve by at least one level on the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) scale.
Mr Blunkett said: "The report says that 'an understanding of the basic history of the United Kingdom can strengthen commitment to common values, as true for the old inhabitants as the new' and this is a view I fully endorse.
"An understanding of our history underpins an understanding of life in the UK."
To qualify for citizenship, applicants must have lived in the UK for five years without committing any serious offence, or three years if married to a British citizen.
The history and culture content of today's final proposals was thought to have been been boosted as a result of Mr Blunkett's lukewarm response to the first draft in January.
British enough for ya?
What is F.A.?
BTW, You need to work on your English (see below)
"Free republic became independent the online of for the sake of is grass-roots conservatism of the place and the net which get together. Conservatism the above the American that in order to roll ten years of largesse of government, becomes fixed from political deception, and degradation cause as for champion us works. And we always the pleasure possess the fact that it does that. Hoo-yah! "
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