International
English must for citizenship
By Hasan Suroor
LONDON
FEB 7.
British citizenship will now come with a linguistic tag, and if you "can't speak no English'' you'd be advised to stay home.
Under new proposals to make citizenship a more coveted goal, a knowledge of spoken and written English is to be made compulsory for those seeking a place under Britain's erratic sun.
They will also be expected to get a hang of British culture, its customs and political institutions; and once they are properly `customised' all that they will need to do to feel properly British is to take an oath of allegiance to the Queen.
``People will need to show they can speak the language reasonably well and have grasped the basics of citizenship,'' said the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, lamenting that such an `induction' drill had been ignored until now.
Taking a leaf from where-else-but-America, where there is a formal ceremony to induct new citizens, he said: "When people become British citizens, I want it to be something to celebrate, not just a piece of paper arriving in a brown envelope along side the gas bill...I want a formal ceremony just like when we are baptised, get married or graduate from university...That way we could celebrate British citizenship and welcome new citizens into the community,'' he wrote in The Sun as he prepared to unveil a new immigration regime.
The proposals, which have been in the pipeline for some months, have been denounced as "linguistic colonialism'' by immigrant groups who have particularly objected to the idea of forcing spouses of British citizens to learn English as a means of integrating them more closely with the society.
Mr. Blunkett angered immigrants from the subcontinent, particularly Pakistan and Bangladesh, and Africa when he described some of their practices such as (forcibly) arranged marriages as incompatible with British culture.
He has defended his remarks by emphasising the need to challenge customs which affect "personal autonomy'' of individuals.
A series of measures is proposed to discourage illegal immigration while making it easier for `genuine' immigrants to be given work permits.
A system akin to the American "green card'' is expected to be introduced to streamline immigration.
The idea is to allow more overseas workers to come here and work in areas where there is a shortage of local personnel.
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