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Prove your worth to be a Brit, says Brown
Last updated at 11:13am on 27.02.07
Muck in: the Chancellor backs community service
Immigrants will not be granted permanent British citizenship unless they undertake community work and prove they are in tune with British values, Gordon Brown warned today.
In a clear signal that he will toughen up immigration policy when he becomes prime minister, the Chancellor wants to create a new status of "temporary citizenship". There would be a probationary period during which foreigners would have to pass a string of tests to qualify for full rights. The proposal being considered by Mr Brown would match that of France, where citizenship has to be earned through a series of conditions.
The Chancellor, outlining his plans at a conference in London today to discuss Britishness in the 21st century, said it was time to end the situation where citizenship is granted through "24 questions on life in the UK that last for 45 minutes".
He believes that obliging migrants to carry out community work, for charities and other groups, will help introduce them to the people they will be living alongside.
He also believes the measure could act as a deterrent to those who do not want to "pull their weight" after they settle in the UK. Undertaking community work would be in addition to stringent citizenship tests, which examine knowledge of British history and culture and new English language tests.
Mr Brown's comments follow his earlier call for all incomers to learn English, and for the UK to have its own day to celebrate its national identity. The plan for
temporary citizenship would create a "contract" between foreign-born nationals and the state under which they would prove their desire to become integrated.
Many Labour MPs believe such segregation, allied with a rise in Muslim extremism, is fuelling the far-Right BNP as white native Britons resent welfare and other benefits granted to those who are not integrating.
Today's conference at the Commonwealth Club in central London will ask a range of ethnic groups to discuss what Britishness means to them. Mr Brown said: "For new citizens, learning English should be a requirement. Citizens should have an understanding of our history and culture." He added that recent weeks had seen a rise in the debate on Britishness.
Reader views (11)
To be a Brit or a Scot? That is the question.
Any ideas, Gordon?
- Ted, Shetland
Maybe those MP's who do nothing would also be forced to volunteer for community work. There are enough of them.
- P.Robinson, Northants
Lazy Brits can do want they want Treena, as they are British. I think you are missing the point here, which is to help immigrants integrate and be proud of being British. It is unfair for people born and raised in this country to be second fiddle to asylum seekers and immigrants. Benefits should only be given to British citizens, this would stop a lot of migrants abusing our welfare system, which has to be the most abused in the world.
- Brandon Thomas, London UK
Anyone claiming benefits should be made to go out and perform community service for 40 hours per week until such time as they find a job, obviously this should allow time off for job interviews.
- Lloyd, London
A number of my friends are from South Africa, some have been here for 4 years and will be applying for a British Passport in the 5 year (following the rules). As with most honest people coming here working hard, paying their taxes and speaking the language - should they then have to do even more to prove he/she is worthy of being a Brit? Sorry tighten up the rules and refuse them before they get here not after they have been in the UK for years, claiming god knows what, they will probably not want to do the community etc. To add to insult we have to pay for the flight home!
There are times where this country tries my patience!
I also agree with Teena, let first look at the lazy slobs who already have the the "brit" status!
- Kay, London
A good plan, but how about increasing the obligation for community work to all those lazy Britsh people sitting around claiming benefits because they can't be bothered to work.
- Teena, London
I agree, and we should start right now. Anyone not able to sing "Land of hope and glory" without a scots accent should be booted back north of the border.
- Jk, London
Too little to late! We're only a small island and can only take so much! We should have strict rules and regulations like the Australians do!
- Max, Brighton
I'm with James on this one. Sort the underlying problem before trying to sort the rest.
- Jay, London
Not so long ago this clown Brown was saying immigrants are good for the country, presumably, even if they couldn't speak English and now they are only any good if the speak English...
Typical of the contradictory statements we get from this dysfunctional so-called government and particularly "I want to be English" Brown.
- Bingham Macnamara, Lymington, UK
Still not enough. Close the door for good and deport anyone who's claimed asylum in the last 15 years.
- James, London
