Increasing to 10 years (from the current 3 or 5) the minimum time that adult immigrants must live in the UK before getting UK Citizenship, with Citizenship only being granted if they are not convicted of any indictable crime or in receipt of social security for 10 years and can meet the GCSE standards expected of 16 year old pupils.
British nationality is governed by the British Nationality Act 1981 and normally relates to being born in the UK or having descent from UK parents or grandparents if born overseas.
However the law also allows other people, not born in the UK and without any UK ancestors, to become 'naturalised' as a British citizen. This can be achieved by anyone who is over 18 and has been living in the United Kingdom for the last five years (or three years if married to or a civil partner of a British citizen). In addition babies born to mothers who may have been in the UK for only a short time can also achieve British citizenship if the mother stays in the UK and they are resident in the UK until they are 10. Gaining British citizenship is seen by many people from around the world as a great prize as it entitles the person, whatever they may subsequently do, to live in the UK and to receive all available government benefits. Most immigrants, especially from outside the EU, see this as their long term objective.
In order for an adult to become a British Citizen, they have to be of 'sound mind' and intend to continue to live in the United Kingdom. They also have to be able to communicate in English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic to an acceptable degree, have sufficient knowledge of life in the United Kingdom, and have been resident in the United Kingdom for at least five years (three years if married to or a civil partner of a British citizen). Unfortunately all of these aspects have come into disrepute with issues about arranged marriages, forged English certificates and the lack of monitoring of people who say they intend to stay but then leave. The 'good character' reference only applies to 'unspent convictions' so somebody could have a criminal record which has been 'spent' after only three years. Similarly the economic requirement is only that you currently pay income tax and social security: applicants can take a temporary job to achieve this.
According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) in the last nine years an average of 360,000 people emigrated from the UK and 540,000 have been immigrants, an annual net immigration of 180,000. Over 2000-8 there was therefore a net UK population increase from migration of about 1.6 million. As has been the case in recent years, around 10% of immigrants were born in the UK, 30% in the EU and 60% in other countries. Only 15% of all immigrants entering the UK in 2008 were British citizens.
The latest figures from the ONS show that 6.5 million people born overseas were resident in the UK at June 2008, an increase of 290,000 on the previous year. The number of non-British nationals living in the UK increased by 41 per cent between 2004 and 2008. 13% of school pupils do not have English as their first language. Over one-third of the 7.5 million people in London were born overseas. In 2008 there were 3.8 million people aged 16 and over who were born abroad and working in the UK, representing 13 per cent of those employed in the UK. This is broadly equivalent to the number of people unemployed or claiming disability benefit.
1.4 million people have become British citizens since 1997. Home Office figures show that 129,375 people were granted British citizenship in 2008 (compared with only 37,010 in 1997). Only 8,735 applications were refused. 51% of grants were on the basis of residence, 22% marriage and 24% minor children. In January 2010 the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration including Baroness Boothroyd and Lord Carey stated: 'But the first requirement is a clear political decision to put in hand the measures required to restore control over our borders, to break the present almost automatic link between coming to Britain and later gaining citizenship…..'
The Jury Team policy is that the residence requirement should be increased to 10 years (as an adult) in all cases. In addition the applicant must not have any record of an indictable crime in the previous 10 years and also not have claimed any social security benefits during 10 individual tax years in the last 12. They must either have a recognised degree or be able to pass 5 subjects at Grade C at GCSE including English, Mathematics and Science, the basic qualification for UK pupils. Children will only be able to become UK citizens when they meet the adult requirements at a minimum age of 28 (staying in the UK until then on a visa basis).
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