If you’ve got a blacklist, I want to be on it
the newest hairbrained voter-brown-nosing scheme? earning citizenship by points.
Applicants for British passports would face a points-based system linked to their employment and community work under proposals to be outlined by ministers.
…The existing citizenship requirement that a person must have lived in Britain for five years, pass a test in English and demonstrate knowledge of life in Britain would be expanded to include points awarded for civic and voluntary work.
The ministers will propose that credits or points be awarded for the amount of money that a person brings with them, their employment record and for any voluntary or other work in the community.
i have no problem with every country determining for itself what constitutes citizenship (though the idea that how much money you have should have *anything* to do with citizenship is repugnant and classist in the extreme.) i may think it’s completely unfeasible and totally lacking in common sense (i mean, how many native-born brits do volunteer work?!), but they have the right to impose whatever arbitrary rules they want.
my ire is reserved for this:
Mr Byrne admitted that record numbers of asylum-seekers and the huge inflow of East European migrants had damaged public confidence in the immigration system.
in other words, it’s a response to backlash against the numbers of refugees and eu migrants (who don’t want or need uk citizenship anyway), neither of which they can easily control.
so those of use who’re most at the mercy of the home office have to pay the price. we’re already required to prove we can support ourselves, speak english, memorise british trivia, take a test, and pay taxes. (oh, and pay close to two thousand pounds along that celebrated road to citizenship.)
the irony is, you don’t *need* to become a citizen – once you have permanent residency, citizenship is entirely elective. disincentivising* citizenship accomplishes absolutely nothing.
oh well, it’ll generate savings for the passport office, i suppose.
*yes, i know it’s not in any dictionary, but it’s considered a real word over here.
billy bragg – waiting for the great leap forwards
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Comment by Tabitha
11.06.2007 @ 17:48 pm
Color me not surprised. I’ve dealt with Byrne before, throughout his disappointing decision regarding the implementation of Section 9 of the NIAA. Even Lord Avebury was perplexed.
Comment by Jen
11.06.2007 @ 22:20 pm
interesting – tell me more about “Section 9 of the NIAA”? I admit, I’m in the dark on that one.
Comment by Tabitha
25.06.2007 @ 02:53 am
The purpose of the NIAA 2002 was to remove the word “illegitimate” from the BNA 1981. This would give all children born out of wedlock to British fathers the ability to now acquire a UK passport. Something they couldn’t do in the past.
First off, section 9 wasn’t implemented until 2006, four years after the NIAA was given royal assent! Second, Byrne ended up giving the start date of July 1, 2006 as the start date. Lastly, this is not retrospective, so children born out of wedlock to British fathers can benefit only if they are born after the July 2006 implementation date.
Already, the news has reported of at least one child being stateless. Google the name “William Watrin Cattrall” and you’ll see what I mean.
Here’s a copy of the NIAA:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2002/20020041.htm
Here’s the Section 9 verbiage: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2002/20041–b.htm#9
Comment by Jen
25.06.2007 @ 21:31 pm
jinkies. thanks for the info!
Comment by Tabitha
26.06.2007 @ 01:57 am
Oops! In true Tabitha form, I forgot to point out that the NIAA was a Nationality, Immigration and Asylum bill that covered various aspects of British law. Section 9 was the part that dealt exclusively with legitimacy of a child and adding the verbiage about what satisfies the “prescribed requirements as to proof of paternity.”
Many might be familiar with Section 13 of the same bill, which gave that cruel cut off date of Feb 7, 1961 for children born to British mothers. It is only the children born after this date that can acquire a UK passport. Those born prior to the date are completely excluded.