Australia to tighten rules of citizenship

Australia passport.Photo: wikimedia.org

Australia’s government will require better knowledge of English, a longer stay and compliance with ‘Australian values’ in order to grant citizenship.
‘This is good for the applicants, and good for the nation,’ said Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, about the proposals.

Future applicants for citizenship must have been permanently resident in the country for four years, rather than one year under the current rules.

The police will conduct more extensive background investigations of applicants, and those who’ve been convicted of domestic violence offences will be denied, said immigration minister, Peter Dutton.

According to the proposals, applicants must provide documented proof that they have attempted to integrate. Examples of such proof may be in employment, membership of organizations and school enrolment for all children concerned.

The proposals also includes a new citizenship test, which will ‘reflect Australian values’ instead of today’s version, which involves the ticking of alternative answers.

Until June, there will be a consultation period to determine how compliance with Australian values is to be measured. Then the issue will be dealt with by the national assembly. The activist group, GetUp, accused the government of adopting the
policies of the anti-Islamic party, One Nation.

‘The proposal accuses all immigrants of not wishing to share Australian values. Everyone who wants to live in Australia is accused of having a greater likelihood of killing their wife, being unprepared to learn English and commit crime,’said GetUp’s leader, Shen Narayanasamy.

One in four Australian citizens are either born outside the country, or have at least one parent born in another country.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today