Cameron builds great wall of English
Tuesday, 19/01/2016
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London : Spouses of Indian and other non-EU migrants may have to pass another English language barrier in Britain from October to test if they have “improved” their language skills, Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Monday. Passing a test such as IELTS is already a requirement for a spouse visa. LONDON: Spouses of Indian and other non-EU migrants may have to pass another English language barrier in Britain from October to test if they have “improved” their language skills, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Monday.
Passing a test such as IELTS is already a requirement for a spouse visa. Cameron announced spouses will be tested again after arrival to check whether they have “improved” their knowledge of the language. The plans are expected to face much opposition.
He said: “After two-and-half years they should be improving their English and we will be testing them. We will bring this in in October and it will apply to people who have come in on a spousal visa recently and they will be tested.”
Asked on BBC Radio whether migrant spouses would be asked to leave if they failed, he said that was possible as “people coming to our country have responsibilities too”. “They can’t guarantee they will be able to stay, because under our rules you have to be able to speak a basic level of English to come into the country as a husband or wife,” he said.
“We made that change already, and we are now going to toughen that up, so halfway through the five-year spousal settlement there will be another opportunity to make sure your English is improving. You can’t guarantee you can stay if you are not improving your language.”
Cameron made the announcement as part of a new focus on thousands of Muslim women of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin who lack English skills.
