Posted on 09/04/2003 2:25:24 PM PDT by Flashman_at_the_charge
Citizenship tests for immigrants
JAMES GOFFIN
September 3, 2003 20:09
Immigrants who want a UK passport will have to improve their English and prove their knowledge of the British way of life, under proposals revealed today.
The proposals by Home Office advisor Sir Bernard Crick say would-be British citizens should take evening classes on UK culture and history and practical skills like paying bills and getting jobs.
Candidates would also have to brush up their written and spoken English, although there would be no minimum level of literacy.
Home Secretary David Blunkett jointly unveiled the proposals, part of Government plans to shake up rules for the 120,000 immigrants who become British citizens every year.
“Citizenship brings responsibilities as well as rights, and it is important that new citizens understand and respect the UK culture and its laws,” said Mr Blunkett.
“An understanding of our history underpins an understanding of life in the UK.
“I also welcome the emphasis on English – acquiring English is a pre-requisite to social integration, to further education and employment and to the well-being of succeeding generations.”
Sir Bernard, who taught Mr Blunkett at university said: “To be British means respecting the institutions, values, beliefs and traditions that bind us all together in peace and legal order.
“We do not want the burden to be onerous but plainly citizenship is more esteemed and valued when it is earned and not given.”
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 current system is based on a postal application, with the Home Office vetting candidates on behalf of the Home Secretary.
Under the proposals, applicants will instead be given free English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic lessons and free citizenship tuition. They will also be issued with a handbook to life in the UK.
The report said the test should include etiquette, good neighbours, the changing role of women, sexual equality, youth culture and national holidays.
British history should include national institutions like monarchy and parliament, the civil service, the Commonwealth and “values of toleration, fair play, freedom of speech and of the press”.
The report is vague about how these British values – which at some points have the smack of Empire about them – could be tested, or what they mean in today's societies.
Sir Bernard was responsible for guidelines on teaching citizenship in schools, and pointed to those as an example of the kind of questions that might be asked.
“Who is the Prime Minister? How do you pay a telephone bill? What do the main political parties stand for?
“They would be fairly simple questions on that kind of level,” he said.
“With people who have English already you could do a pretty quick, machine-readable test of three passages which describe what the Conservative Party stands for or the Labour Party stands for.
“If schoolchildren can answer these sorts of questions I see no reason why adults shouldn't.”
How could you have islands of foreign culture festering in the midst of America if you forced them to first acclimatize? Where would the union teachers who learned the alien tongues (not that well, of course, but good enough to pass the union test and fool the school administrator) for jobs? How would local lefties be able to use foreign culture to prove the failings and inferiority of American culture? No, the lefties ALWAYS recognize the superiority of the Canadian "mosaic" system over the US "melting pot" approach. Friction comes with diversity. Being non-judgmental requires not valuing our culture over any other culture. Nope, wouldn't do for our neocommunists.
At least they can't just take a walk and be there.
Of course with the EU and the chunnel you may end up having more problems eventually.
The other thing that busts my balls is the fact that I am an American Taxpayer (I do not send any tax money to the CHICOM loving Chretien government) and part of my tax money goes to assistance programs for the same jerks that don't follow the immigration rules...in return I do not have the same rights as other tax payers and I am still considered a non-immigrant alien.
"/RANT OFF
Tell me about it mate. My visa ran out at the end of November and I dutifully applied for a years renewal. All this while I’m waiting to hear about my green card.
I am STILL waiting for the visa renewal from Dec 2002 to come through. Not having this meant I couldn’t leave the US so I missed seeing my Mum for Christmas and my birthday.
Now, assuming the damn thing arrives before Dec 2003 I will have to return to England to have the visa put into my passport. This visa will of course expire at the end of Nov 2003 when I will have to repeat the whole thing again.
<rant OFF>
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