The media are always getting it in the neck for being gloomy. Where’s the good news, critics ask. In its own way, the Telegraph responds. “Foreign nationals awarded British citizenship declined by 40% last year as coalition policies took effect,” says the paper. “Analysis of official data by Oxford University showed just under 126,000 foreign nationals were awarded citizenship – thus entitling them to a British passport – in 2014, a fall of 40% year-on-year.” Enter stage right, Lord Green of MigrationWatch. He seems pretty chipper. “This fall in the numbers granted nationality reflects the impact of more effective controls on non-EU immigration.”
But is this good news? Not necessarily. Having been to a couple of the citizenship ceremonies, I think there is little more moving than watching people make the formal declaration that this is where they want to be and where they belong. The best bit is talking to them immediately afterwards. Many are too excited to voice coherent thoughts, but when they compose, they reach for the big picture. To the question: “Why do you want to be a British citizen?” they’ll say: “because you can be free here”, “because there is opportunity” and “because a British passport gives you respect and protection all over the world”.
I’ve been reading Bring Home the Revolution: The Case for a British Republic, the brilliant 1998 book by my colleague Jonathan Freedland, and during his detailed comparison of the differences between the US and the UK, he describes a citizenship ceremony across the Atlantic. He immediately spots one big difference. The American registrar tells new citizens that they are more than welcome, that they have joined a great historic project and that America is lucky to have them. In the UK, the process is more welcoming than it used to be. Previously applicants would merely be informed by letter whether or not they had been successful. But, even now, the mindset is different. Well done, you’ve snuck in. Count yourself lucky. Now sing the national anthem. Happily, many don’t.
I’m not saying that everyone who wants to can be a citizen. I recall the desperation of one woman who was told to stand aside when it became clear her English was lacking. But migrants will come; the economy needs them. And when they choose to show commitment, that really is good news.
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