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Ceremonies for Citizenship - a start but more needed
February 27, 2004 1:13 PM
Commenting after the first citizenship ceremony in Brent yesterday Baroness Sarah Ludford, Brent's MEP and European justice spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats welcomed the initiative, but stressed that there is much more needed to achieve real integration.
"Although I welcome this initiative, I regret that the Government has failed to act on the recommendation of eminent advisers that ceremonies must be accompanied by well-funded citizenship and English language classes."
"The definition of 'Britishness' must be more than a flag-waving ceremony. We need education for all, including native Britons, in what citizenship means, and it would help if we had a Bill of Rights."
"Integration must be a two-way street, with the host community making adjustments as well as immigrants assuming obligations. There needs to be welcome for a future in the UK, not abandonment of culture and language."
"The French example of forced assimilation of minorities, most recently highlighted by the proposed ban on headscarves, is not the model for the UK."
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