The indication yesterday by the British Home Secretary, Mr David Blunkett, that future immigrants to the United Kingdom should undergo a citizenship programme and achieve a working knowledge of the English language is a worthwhile initiative with potential to improve community relations there
It would represent a decided shift in British policy if the recommendations made are accepted - and the proposals should be examined by those in authority here who want Irish society, as it becomes more multi-racial and multicultural, to be cohesive, imbued with a sense of tolerance and confident in its new diversity.
There are tens of thousands of people in Britain today, many of them from India and Pakistan, whose working knowledge of the English language is insufficient for them to communicate with people outside their own ethnic community. Most of these people have been living in England for 30 years or more; but because of misguided policies they have been trapped in a limbo - having left their countries of origin but unable to become an integrated part of the country they have gone to.
Under the measures recommended yesterday to Mr Blunkett, would-be citizens of the UK would participate in a citizenship programme, and display a working knowledge of English or take lessons. Applicants for citizenship would learn about British institutions and their history in order to understand British democracy, the electoral system and communities. They would learn about multiculturalism. There would be courses also in the law, the rights and duties of the citizen, how the courts work, employment, sources of information and everyday needs - housing, paying bills and what makes for good neighbours. In parallel, prospective citizens would be assessed on their progress in English and would have to move from one ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) level to another, with the minimum being moving from no English to a sufficient level to take up unskilled employment.
The motivation, as Mr Blunkett put it yesterday, is to ensure that people are capable of integrating in society. "How can you build a cohesive society if people can't communicate?" he asked. The answer is you cannot and people suffered in the UK by pretending otherwise. If we in Ireland are to avoid some of these errors, the Government could do worse than examine Mr Blunkett's document. They should start a dialogue with voluntary agencies already trying to help immigrants and asylum seekers function in this society, and develop a citizenship programme of our own.