I am a proponent of ESOL learners learning more about the UK;
i.e. citizenship by another name. I know many of my ESOL learners want to learn
about the UK and want to claim citizenship for themselves. But I’d like
to bring out some negatives for the moment. I’ve only skimmed through the
Green Paper “The Path to Citizenship: Next Steps in Reforming the
Immigration System,” but some of the demands for successful
naturalisation seem dubious, even totalitarian, demanding the uttermost
conformity to an ill-defined set of values, and I quote: ‘putting British
values at the heart of the system.’ How can any self-proclaiming pluralistic,
multicultural society claim to have a singular set of values? I think ‘values’
in this paper are being used synonymously with ‘laws’. And in this
new three stage-process of citizenship, there is a middle probationary period
of 3 years, during which I suspect, if you break any ‘values/laws’
your application will fail and you risk deportation.
Some of the sections read like a green paper for offenders
doing ‘community service’. This sentence in particular I find
jarring: “We propose to speed up the passage through probationary
citizenship for those who have demonstrated active engagement in the wider community,”
(p.25) compared to “We will also slow a migrant’s progress through
the system even where minor offences are committed, so that behaviour that
falls below the standards we expect has consequences” (p.7).
Stephen
From:
ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of James Simpson
Sent: 10 April 2008 09:42
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: FW: Regional Consultation
to the Green Paper
Forwarded: today's first message inviting
you to a consultation.
James
Subject: Regional Consultation to
the Green Paper
Yorkshire & Humber Regional Migration
Partnership
REGIONAL CONSULTATION
Subject: Response to
the Home Office Border & Immigration Agency (BIA) consultation on the Green
Paper “The Path to Citizenship: Next Steps in Reforming the Immigration
System.”
To: Relevant
stakeholders across the region
Deadline: Responses to
be returned by 4pm on Wednesday 30th
April 2008
Format: Please
respond by email, using the attached response template, to:
Ivelina
Metchkarova-Taylor, YHRMP, ivelina.metchkarova-taylor@leeds,gov.uk
The
Regional Migration Partnership will submit a regional response to BIA based on
the replies we receive from our stakeholders and reflecting our view as a
regional body.
Attachments: Summary of
the proposals
Response template as supplied by BIA
The
full Green Paper
Both
the Green Paper and the response template can be accessed at:
http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/consultations/pathtocitizenship/
Ivelina
Metchkarova-Taylor
Information and Projects Manager
Yorkshire & Humber Regional Migration Partnership
4th Floor, Phoenix
House
3 South Parade
Leeds LS1 5QX
tel: (0113) 214 3947
fax: (0113) 214 3963
http://www.refugeeaccess.info/yhrmp
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