New citizen test is 'far too hard', say Blackburn immigrant workers

2:00pm Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News By Sophia Rahman, Reporter

TESTING TIMES: Students sitting the Life in the UK exam TESTING TIMES: Students sitting the Life in the UK exam

IMMIGRANTS attempting to gain residency in Blackburn have said a new citizenship test for foreign nationals will not equip them for life in the UK.

The Life in the UK exam focuses on British history, with no requirement to know how to register with a GP, how to ring for an ambulance, or what to do if someone is attacking your neighbour which is currently required.

People working with the immigrant population, teaching citizenship and studying immigration, in East Lancashire have called the test ‘far too hard’ and ‘a complete waste of money’.

Shajia Habib, a woman from Pakistan who is applying for indefinite leave to remain so she can be with her husband in Blackburn, said: “It is important to know the history of a country if you want to live there, so you can know some of the culture.

“I find it very interesting and not too difficult, but it is much more important to know how to live life day by day.

“You need to know what to do in everyday situations, like how to get your child into school, and what to do if you become ill.”

Siraj Parkar, a doctor from India who is also applying for indefinite leave to live with his wife in Blackburn, said: “Basic knowledge of how to function in the country is essential, although it is important to be able to know how to be a good citizen and get along in the culture too.”

Many of the people wishing to move here from abroad want to join spouses who have settled here.

But as of October 1, when the new test comes in, even if an applicant is married to a person living in the UK, if they do not pass entry three level English, the equivalent of a D in GCSE literacy, and the Life in the UK exam, they will not able to join their spouse.

Tahir Hussain, chief executive of Al-Hayat Language School, a government accredited English and citizenship college in Brookhouse, said he feared most people would fall at the first hurdle.

He said: “I’m not afraid to say I would fail the new Life in the UK test, and I have been teaching English for ten years and lived here since I was six.English people moving to India aren’t expected to go through this level of exams.”

Anjum Anwar, dialogue development officer at Blackburn Cathedral, said: “You don’t need to be an expert in history to be a good citizen.”

Comments(39)

Gammon Flap says...
2:27pm Wed 20 Mar 13

'Many of the people wishing to move here from abroad want to join spouses who have settled here.'

In other news Bear has been caught defecating in the woods and the Pope confirms he is indeed a member of the Catholic religion.

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shytalk says...
2:59pm Wed 20 Mar 13

It's a good pub quizz..I failed the sample questions. My Ukrainian wife passed it. She found it rather odd though when she had to answer questions such as what percentage of the population of Birmingham speak urdu.
Sorry but it is definately weighted in favour of the muslim community..Try some of the sample questions yourself and see...The test is nothing to do with living in the UK as you will see

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Venomp says...
3:01pm Wed 20 Mar 13

As a British citizen I don't know the full history so how would you expect immigrants?
Just daft.

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ghanto says...
3:18pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Tthere should be proper offices operated by goverment EMBASSY

Some offices previously were caught offering free certificate never know
anyway

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mrdd186 says...
3:38pm Wed 20 Mar 13

its like any test study for it and you will pass ,not meant to be easy that's the idea of a test.

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burner says...
3:50pm Wed 20 Mar 13

The driving test is too hard. There's other cars on the road and they get in my way. Please can you remove all the other cars so that I can pas my driving test? . . . PLUS all the signs are in English !!!!!!!!!!!!! . . . UNFAIR !!!

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prince of darkness says...
3:51pm Wed 20 Mar 13

How do you verify the person taking the test is the real person. Like so many others who take drivers test pretending to be that person. No doubt we will have to pay for lessons, to allow them to learn (parrot fashion) to take the test.
Presume test will be written in English to be answered in English no exceptions.

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drunken donut says...
4:49pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Is the one on the right Michael Appleton?

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William Young says...
5:01pm Wed 20 Mar 13

There are 75 million people in this country, a sizable proportion of them from alien cultures, some of which despise us and our way of like. Would it be too much to ask that we be allowed to stop any further immigration here until the taxpayers of this country have been asked if they want to continue to support so many of them? Many people came here to freeload and take advantage of a society which has been built through generations of sacrifice, and we would be betraying our ancestors if we didn't at least have a referendum on continued immigration.

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William Young says...
5:03pm Wed 20 Mar 13

One of the 'students' in the above picture would appear to have her head and face completely covered. Am I alone in thinking that should be the first thing she changes now she has decided to join British society and abandon the criminally anti-women societies of the countries that practice such barbarism?

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gutterpress says...
7:33pm Wed 20 Mar 13

William Young wrote:
One of the 'students' in the above picture would appear to have her head and face completely covered. Am I alone in thinking that should be the first thing she changes now she has decided to join British society and abandon the criminally anti-women societies of the countries that practice such barbarism?
Well said! We can do without them introducing any more of their stone-age religion and culture to this country.

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A Measured Response says...
9:07pm Wed 20 Mar 13

These tests are a joke. I wonder how many Brits living in Spain would be able to answer even the most basic questions about Spanish history, culture, or language. In a sense though it's not knowledge that matters, it's attitude, and whether or not people are willing to engage with society, contribute, and follow the law of the land. Those principles should also apply to non-immigrants by the way.
I am totally indifferent as to whether the woman in the picture wears a veil or not, it's her business. When I've asked Muslim women why they wear a veil they all say that it's their choice, and in some cases their husbands would actually rather they didn't. I follow the adage of judging people by their actions rather than their appearance, and I have yet to find a veiled woman who was anything other than very polite. I make no assumption as to whether or not she is 'oppressed' as I have no real way of knowing, just as I cannot really know with any woman whom I do not know personally.

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TONY WALES says...
9:27pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Let's face it they only want to come and produce as many kids as they can.More kids more benefits. They will never work, who in their right mind is going to give somebody a job when you cannot even see their face.
More kids more of a drain on U/K resources schools and the NHS.
If they wanted to be with their husband that much, HE would go and live with wife in Pakistan.
But they don't have a decent health service. or decent schools, and they don't get large government benefits either.
Still at the rate they produce kids and more and more try to get into the country, in a few years we will also be as bad as Pakistan
e

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ghanto says...
9:28pm Wed 20 Mar 13

burner wrote:
The driving test is too hard. There's other cars on the road and they get in my way. Please can you remove all the other cars so that I can pas my driving test? . . . PLUS all the signs are in English !!!!!!!!!!!!! . . . UNFAIR !!!
thank you mr daffy

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ghanto says...
9:30pm Wed 20 Mar 13

mrdd186 wrote:
its like any test study for it and you will pass ,not meant to be easy that's the idea of a test.
thank you mr daft daffy duck

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trevhd says...
11:38pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Should make it harder also be literate in English before they are allowed into the UK.

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happycyclist says...
1:04am Thu 21 Mar 13

Make it even harder.

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Fire Fly says...
3:14am Thu 21 Mar 13

Britain currently issues a handbook to anyone applying for citizenship that explains: the human rights act & how to apply for benefits!!!!????

Continuing in this helpful vein, foreigners can also apply to take the driving theory test in no less than 19 different languages??? Due to be changed soon but none the less!

None of these things reinforce what it is to be British..the very thing they are applying to be.

Apply for citizenship in France & you have to be able to speak & understand the language to the level of a 15yr old French native. You also have to have proof of having a job to go to. Basically you're expected to embrace being French, not a difficult concept really. I suspect Tony Blair tried to settle there & was refused so we got him!

Is it any wonder this country is over subscribed & attracting the wrong sort of would be 'citizens', cheers Labour!

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drunken donut says...
8:22am Thu 21 Mar 13

William Young wrote:
One of the 'students' in the above picture would appear to have her head and face completely covered. Am I alone in thinking that should be the first thing she changes now she has decided to join British society and abandon the criminally anti-women societies of the countries that practice such barbarism?
Most right minded people in this country would agree with your post, however living in a "Big Brother" society you are not allowed to state the bleeding obvious.

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bulldogbrfc says...
9:30am Thu 21 Mar 13

this lot come overhere no job no money and surprise surprise they already have a wife / husband already here waiting.stop any more coming a. s. a. p.

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Mikeee47 says...
10:29am Thu 21 Mar 13

It's laughable, Too hard? they drain our system and waste police time by requesting enterpreters just to stall. Basic english to drive on our roads and answer simple questions by the law, Basic English to communicate with hospitals, doctors, schools etc.
If these people can't read or speak Basic English how the hell do they know what the road signs mean?
Make it tougher for immigrants to enter OUR country, take a leaf from the Australians.

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thermio says...
10:36am Thu 21 Mar 13

William Young wrote:
One of the 'students' in the above picture would appear to have her head and face completely covered. Am I alone in thinking that should be the first thing she changes now she has decided to join British society and abandon the criminally anti-women societies of the countries that practice such barbarism?
I would imagine that back in her 'home country' she would not cover herself from head to toe in this cultural outfit.

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berniep says...
10:43am Thu 21 Mar 13

The first thing on the criteria should be that they speak English or they pay for a translator to much money is being squandered on translating & printing any type of forms/applications in numerous languages. I needed an English speaker in Spain & had to pay for her services which i thought was fair enough.
Also if they want British nationality then leave the Koran & the Burkina,s where they belong, back in the barbaric un-developed backward thinking non democratic un- civilized country they are leaving.

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shytalk says...
11:00am Thu 21 Mar 13

Things like knowing what the population of the UK live in Scotland or what date was Guy Fawks haned are really useful for living in the UK. Do you know if the UK has a written constitution or not? My wife just had to learn these stupid facts parrot fashion from a book to pass the test. It was no good asking me but the rules for settlement are there and people who wish to have ILR just have to get on with it.

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Rishtonian says...
11:19am Thu 21 Mar 13

TONY WALES wrote:
Let's face it they only want to come and produce as many kids as they can.More kids more benefits. They will never work, who in their right mind is going to give somebody a job when you cannot even see their face.
More kids more of a drain on U/K resources schools and the NHS.
If they wanted to be with their husband that much, HE would go and live with wife in Pakistan.
But they don't have a decent health service. or decent schools, and they don't get large government benefits either.
Still at the rate they produce kids and more and more try to get into the country, in a few years we will also be as bad as Pakistan
e
Could not agree more

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William Young says...
11:28am Thu 21 Mar 13

If you asked the average BRITISH person:

Do you want more people in this country chasing fewer jobs?
And
Do you want our taxpayer-funded benefits stretched ever further, even to the point of £millions going overseas to family members of foreigners claiming here?
And
Do you want to import a culture, the holy book of which insists on it's adherents overthrowing our society and practicing morale, economic and if necessary violent 'jihad'?
And
Do you want to see millions of foreigners in this country paid by the British taxpayer to stay at home and breed because they cannot speak our language?
And
Do you want to see women forced to wear a cloth bag over their head because their culture tells them our men will rape them due to being overwhelmed by their beauty?
And
Do you want this country to be a majority muslim one within 40 years?

Most BRITISH people would say NO.

Perhaps politicians should listen to BRITISH people for a change, since it is us who pay their huge salaries.

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Marconi says...
12:12pm Thu 21 Mar 13

Mikeee47 wrote:
It's laughable, Too hard? they drain our system and waste police time by requesting enterpreters just to stall. Basic english to drive on our roads and answer simple questions by the law, Basic English to communicate with hospitals, doctors, schools etc.
If these people can't read or speak Basic English how the hell do they know what the road signs mean?
Make it tougher for immigrants to enter OUR country, take a leaf from the Australians.
You don't know much about Australia Mikeee47. They are arriving in boatloads. Australia is ignoring what is happening to England and they will be sorry.

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Roverthere says...
12:15pm Thu 21 Mar 13

It's about time face masks were banned.

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pdb951 says...
2:37pm Thu 21 Mar 13

Forget the test. Close the door on these people. We dont want any more here. I suggest a test and incentive to go to other countries made as easy as possible to pass. Also give them free one way aeroplane tickets

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goz says...
3:28pm Thu 21 Mar 13

Make the test retrospective going back at least 50 years.

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William Young says...
3:41pm Thu 21 Mar 13

Whilst we may be in a minority by having the foresight to predict terrible strife for the indigenous people of Britain, just as Enoch Powell was, it would be unforgivable not to speak out. At the moment people like us have to keep quiet, because despite despising racistm and fascism accusations of such have been used to insult and denigrate us by the extreme left, and fools will believe them.
All we want is our country back. We love cultural diversity, and love foreign people and their ways, but not at the expense of giving the UK to islam for no other reason than that we're too scared to say no. It's time to stop it now, and to inform the extremists that we are on their backs.

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mikebuk says...
5:16pm Thu 21 Mar 13

So if the indigenous scumbags take the test and fail we could stick them on an island where they can drag their knuckles to their heart's content. I fear plastic Christians far more than Islam.

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William Young says...
5:34pm Thu 21 Mar 13

Hi Mikebuk,

The "indigenous scumbags" and "plastic christians" ()whatever that means) have not sworn blind allegiance to a cult that insists all followers practice 'jihad' against non-muslims everywhere. Islam is quite clear about it's intentions: to re-take the world "for allah". They have been very successful in every country they have worked on, and they have designated the UK as their base in Europe. Belgium is now nearly under the jackboot of the cult, and the southern half of France now has more mosques than churches.
People who collaborate with islam in it's vile expansionism like you have here are called by islamists "useful idiots".

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enki jr says...
10:27pm Thu 21 Mar 13

there should be one law regarding immigration ...
NO RETARDS.

Of course the gov are taking both arab and yidd money.. blair even turned catholic to yield more euros the greedy traitor ..... they care not about
the real people of this land..they sold out long ago, swamping us with immigrants breaks white communities up...displaces and alienates familys and if you speak up, you get persecuted by a gay **** org who are anti this and that...morons the lot of M. enoch (powell) was the only prophet
worthy of respect ..the rest were CHARLETONS and PIGDOGS civil war and purging the entire gov structure of rats is the only solution ...but who can i trust to do the job properly ...NO-ONE, but myself a.t.m.i.t.... An army of well adjusted people is far better than an army with an average i.q. of ...beep beep beep,....... lets face it ...you have to be pretty dumb not to know the regular army are mercenaries for the bankers...murder is still murder whether in a uniform or not.

fearing islam is like fearing **** flies, they are patsies in all this, what you call "a perceived enemy" ,,,your worst enemy is ...well you ... ... ...

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doggydog says...
1:26pm Fri 22 Mar 13

i dont care if the test is hard! Tough!Pass it or leave, makes no difference to me!As for culture? which one?

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pdb951 says...
5:40pm Fri 22 Mar 13

But we all know. It will not be possible to fail the test. Its BULL***T

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A Measured Response says...
7:22pm Fri 22 Mar 13

i think a part of the new test should be how to post sane, literate posts on the LET that do not reek of crass racism and ignorance. There is clearly a desperate need for such skills in Lancashire.

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William Young says...
8:15pm Fri 22 Mar 13

AMR: I'm hoping that you haven't fallen into the trap used by islamists where they trick the less gifted into believing their theopolitical movement is a RACE. I'm sure you aren't that ignorant or crass though.

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big bird says...
4:11pm Tue 26 Mar 13

Just done the sample test in 1 min 20 secs. If anyone fails that, I don't understand how they found their way here. It is insultingly simple!

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