Australia announces citizenship test for migrants
By Samson Zahn,WNS Australia Senior Correspondent
SYDNEY - Migrants who want to become Australian citizens will be forced to sit an English language test and demonstrate their knowledge of the country's laws and values, Prime Minister John Howard announced Monday. "This test will involve a working knowledge of the English language," Howard told reporters in Sydney. "It will also involve a further test to require people to have an understanding of basic aspects of Australian society, our culture and our values and certainly some understanding of our history."
Howard's announcement comes a year after racial riots erupted on Sydney beaches when white mobs attacked Lebanese-Australians in order to "reclaim the beach". The conservative prime minister, who has tightened immigration rules while in office to deter refugees from arriving here by boat from South East Asia, said the test was not intended to be discriminatory. "It is not designed in any way to keep some people out," he said.
Howard's announcement comes a year after racial riots erupted on Sydney beaches when white mobs attacked Lebanese-Australians in order to "reclaim the beach". The conservative prime minister, who has tightened immigration rules while in office to deter refugees from arriving here by boat from South East Asia, said the test was not intended to be discriminatory. "It is not designed in any way to keep some people out," he said.
"It is designed not as some kind of Trivial Pursuit, but it is designed to ensure that people understand and have a working capacity in the national language, which is English. "It will be similar in, I guess, design, although not in detail, to the citizenship tests of many other countries." Howard said the tests would apply to all new migrants who apply for citizenship. Migrants will also have to sign a statement saying they understand the country's social values including freedom of religion and sexual equality and are committed to obeying local laws.
posted by wnsworld @ 7:27 PM
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