17
ISSUES: Citizenship
Chapter 1: Citizenship in the UK
Why it’s time for an Office for Citizenship and
Integration in London
OntheanniversaryofBritain’sfirst citizenshipceremony,writesSteveBallinger,anewreport
says that Britain has “forgotten” the value of citizenship and the importance of proactively
promoting better integration – and calls on London to lead theway.
L
ondon is a city of immigration and
that brings pressures on people
living here, as well as economic
and cultural benefits that have helped
make our city one of the greatest in
the world. Making integration work –
for people already here and for new
arrivals too – is one of the keys to
London’s continuing success. So we
need a London that we can all share.
We need to promote more contact and
understanding between Londoners
from different backgrounds. And we
need to build a sense of citizenship that
reaches and matters to Londoners born
and raised in Britain as much as to this
country’s newest arrivals.
That’s why we’re calling on all London
mayoral candidates to back a new
proposal for an Office for Citizenship
and Integration at the GLA.
A new report setting out the proposals,
from British Future in partnership with
London Citizens, the largest and most
diverse civic partnership in the capital,
and backed by voices across party
politics, sets out why London needs
to do more to promote integration
and citizenship, and some of the key
priorities that the new office could
pursue. These include:
Ö
Ensuring that more people speak
English so they can fully be part of
British life.
Ö
Promoting greater involvement
in
civic
life
and
contact
between people from different
backgrounds, including through
volunteering
drives
and
encouraging all young Londoners
to register and use their first vote,
as a step towards understanding of
the value of common citizenship.
Ö
Encouraging
more
migrants
living in London to take British
citizenship, with a target of
increasing by 100,000 the rate of
citizenship registrations over the
four-year mayoral term.
The newproposals are backed by: Trevor
Phillips OBE; David Lammy MP; Steve
Norris, former Conservative London
mayoral candidate; Mark Rimmer, Head
of Registration and Nationality for the
London Borough of Brent; Bharat Mehta,
Chief Executive, Trust for London; Sonny
Leong, Trustee, Mulan Foundation
Network; Bite the Ballot; Moira Sinclair,
Director, Paul Hamlyn Foundation; and
Sara Llewellin, Chief Executive, Barrow
Cadbury Trust.
Steve Norris, former Conservative
Mayoral candidate, said:
“Integration is a vital way to ensure
that people who come to our great city
make their fullest contribution to it – so
that London benefits economically and
socially, and we handle the pressures
of immigration in a way that is fair to
everybody.
“So I welcome this practical proposal
about how the next Mayor could get
the foundations of integration right
– to make sure everybody shares a
common language and can talk to their
neighbours, and to domore to celebrate
the pride which new citizens have in
becoming British.
“It is an idea that should appeal
across the political parties. London
Conservatives are increasingly confident
about our ability to appeal to Londoners
across every colour and creed, and I
hope Zac Goldsmith and his campaign
will see the proposal as an attractive way
for the next Mayor to make a positive
contribution to bringing our diverse city
together“.
Tottenham
MP
David
Lammy
commented:
“I fully support the establishment of
the GLA’s Office for Citizenship and
Integration, which is a vital development
in turning rhetoric on the benefits of
immigration into action that will benefit
both immigrants and the city of London
alike. As a country we don’t yet ‘do’
integration well enough and too many
new arrivals consequently go on to live
parallel lives in isolation, unable to make
the most of the opportunities to thrive
provided by our economy, culture and
social fabric.
“We need to do much more and commit
to a real concerted effort to enable
new arrivals to fully integrate into our
communities. The Office for Citizenship
and Integration will be a valuable step
forward in boosting integration by
harnessing best practice and ensuring
a joined-up approach across our city,
which in turn can set the standard for
improving how we encourage and
promote integration across the country.”
To launch the proposal, Citizens UK are
inviting a group of young Londoners to
witness a citizenship ceremony in Brent,
followed by a workshop to explore what
citizenship means to them and what
they feel a new Deputy Mayor could do
to promote citizenship and integration.
Keren Fadega, Blood, Sweat and Tears
Leader for Citizens UK said:
“We need one London that’s fair for all of
us – whether you’ve just arrived here or
lived here all your life. And it’s important
that we keep on getting to know people
from different backgrounds, learning
from each other and being proud of our
diversity. The politicians we elect to run
London need to take responsibility for
making that work, for everyone.”
This is something for all Londoners, of
all backgrounds. Integration should not
be seen as a challenge only for migrants
and minority groups. The new Deputy
Mayor should champion a vision,
relevant to London and well beyond it,
of integration as a shared challenge for
us all
Thisagendacanbepursuedeffectivelyat
limited cost, with existing GLA resources
supplemented
by
philanthropic
partners in the city and charitable
foundations. A new London citizenship
fund could be created pulling private
