Obtaining British citizenship to become more difficult as new points system planned.
Plans requiring would-be citizens to earn enough points to stay permanently in the UK have been revealed as the government plans yet another immigration barrier. The government also plans to introduce a second and more challenging knowledge test on topics including history and politics.The new Points Based Test for Citizenship will award migrants points for building up different attributes and skills. Proposals would see people rewarded for economic contributions, skills and English language proficiency above the level already expected. Points could be removed and citizenship withheld or delayed for those breaking the law or committing anti-social behaviour.
Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said, ‘We have made it clear people must earn their right to stay in the UK permanently by working hard, obeying the law and speaking English ‘Being British is a privilege - these proposals break the link between coming to work here temporarily and being given the right to citizenship.’
Points Based Test
This system builds on the changes to earned citizenship introduced by the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 which has already been approved by parliament. A Points Based Test for Citizenship will give the government more control over the numbers of people permitted to settle here permanently.
One of the key principles of the earned citizenship system is building community cohesion, through encouraging community involvement through ‘active citizenship’.
Migrants already contribute to communities throughout the UK and the government wants to support integration by encouraging more of these activities. That is why a migrant’s journey to citizenship will be sped up if they conduct voluntary or civic work. The government will work closely with local authorities to ensure any voluntary or community work being undertaken by applicants is checked and verified.
Under the current system those wanting citizenship have to pass a Life in the UK test to demonstrate both their knowledge of the country and their ability to speak English. The government is proposing tightening this even further with a new two-stage system. This will focus on practical information about life in the UK at probationary citizenship stage, and then a further test at the final stage with more challenging topics including history and politics.
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