PM flags citizenship changes2:27
PM Malcolm Turnbull has flagged changes to the citizenship process after abolishing the 457 visa.
PM unveils get-tough Aussie values citizenship exam
TURNBULL government ministers have defended tough new changes to Australia’s citizenship test.
Migrants seeking Australian citizenship will face difficult new tests on their English skills and be probed on their cultural values and attitudes to women.
Applicants will also be asked for their views on a range of cultural issues including forcing children to marry, female genital mutilation, striking a spouse and banning girls from going to school.
Prospective citizens will be forced to show they have joined their local community, through examples of employment, membership of local organisations or enrolling children at a school.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has denied that the changes are pointed at Muslim migrants amid concerns about violent extremism stirred up by terrorist group Islamic State.
Mr Dutton said 99 per cent of Australia’s Muslim community were law abiding citizens who would find domestic violence abhorrent.
“What I want is, frankly, for people to abide by our laws, adopt our values, I want them to send their kids to school, if they’re of working age and have an ability to work, I want them working, not on welfare,” Mr Dutton told Channel Seven’s Sunrise program.
“I want people to become great Australians which is the migrant story of our country.
“We can only do that by respecting people’s heritage and their culture and background, but in accepting Australian citizenship, they should abide by our laws, adopt our values and integrate into the community.”
He insisted the new test was not targeted at any group despite its pointed questions on domestic violence.
“They are pointed at people who might think that domestic violence is okay — well, it’s not,” he said.
“Clearly, as a country, we have an issue with domestic violence, and there’s a lot that the Federal and state governments are doing to reduce domestic violence, but we should say to people who want to become Australian citizens, it is against the law.
“If you have a different view, frankly we don’t you want you to become an Australian citizen.
“I think we should be very open about that, we should be frank about it and we won’t apologise for it.”
Prime Minister Turnbull said Australian values would be at the heart of the tough new requirements.
“Membership of the Australian family is a privilege and should be afforded to those who support our values, respect our laws and want to work hard by integrating and contributing to an even better Australia,” he said.
The Prime Minister added: “We must ensure that our citizenship program is conducted in our national interest.
“Citizenship brings with it great privileges and responsibilities, and so deserves respect and commitment from those who seek it — and those who are granted it.”
Speaking from Tokyo, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told Nine’s Today show was asked whether the tough new rules could further alienate those who are already at risk of radicalisation.
Ms Bishop defended the test, saying “the opposite should be the case”.
“We are asking a series of questions and I don’t think anyone could seriously defend an attitude that says women are not equal to men or that violence against women is acceptable,” she said.
“So, we are looking to test attitudes to ensure that people who take out Australian citizenship -and it is a privilege to become an Australian citizen — but it also has responsibilities and obligations with it.
Julie Bishop defends citizenship test changes0:28
Julie Bishop has defended changes to the Australian citizenship test. Courtesy: Today Show
“That they are prepared to embrace the values, the laws, the attitudes that we have as a society that’s made us so successful.”
Ms Bishop said a “broad national consultation” had been undertaken. She added: “We have had a number of views and I know that the Department of Immigration has been consulting widely”.
“We want this to be a successful multicultural toller event free and open society. We want people who embrace those values,” she said.
“Now, other countries would likewise want the same for their new citizens, to embrace the values and the fundamentals that makes the country what it is.”
Under the new test, applicants will also be required to have lived in Australia as a permanent resident for at least four years (up from one year) and will only be allowed to fail the citizenship test three times.
At present, there is no limit to the number of times a person can fail the test.
Mr Turnbull said he would be briefing the Opposition and the crossbench about it as soon as possible.
Malcolm Turnbull’s citizenship crackdown comes just two days after the prime minister outlined an overhaul of the 457 temporary foreign worker visa system.
Under the new system, applicants will have to been a permanent resident of Australia for at least four years.
The current minimum requirement is just one year.
New changes will also limit the number of failed tests to three before a two-year wait to reapply. And any applicants caught cheating will automatically fail.
Multicultural groups will be asked for feedback on questions about Australian values before they are finalised.
On average, more than 130,000 people from around 210 countries become Australian citizens each year.
Currently, the citizenship test consists of 20 multiple-choice questions drawn at random from a pool of questions ranging from the origins of Anzac Day, the colours of the Aboriginal flag and what animals are on the Coat of Arms.
To pass the test, applicants must answer 75 per cent, or 15 out of 20, correctly.
Figures revealed earlier this year showed one man had failed the test 47 times before becoming an Australian citizen on his 48th attempt.
Nearly 8000 people had to sit the test between four and 10 times, while 96 per cent of new citizens since 2012 sat the test three times before passing. Under new guidelines, some exemptions will apply including for disabled family members or those aged under 16.
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The quiz below is a sample of questions migrants can do as practice for the current test as listed on the Border Force website in January:
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Mr Turnbull said conduct inconsistent with Australian values would be considered as part of this process.
“Criminal activity including family violence or involvement in organised crime is thoroughly inconsistent with Australian values.
“These changes are part of our wider package of reforms. We are protecting Australian jobs and promoting Australian values,” he said.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the public should not be embarrassed to say it wanted great people to call Australia home.
“We want people who abide by our laws and our values and we should expect nothing less,” Mr Dutton said.
It comes after the government was this week forced to scrap the contentious 457 visa system, axing more than 200 trades that offered short-term opportunities for skilled migrants to fill vacancies.
But Labor leader Bill Shorten hit out at the “cosmetic” announcement on Wednesday, and questioned what impact the changes would have.
“I’m sceptical that Mr Turnbull’s ‘crackdown’ is actually a con job and it will make no real difference,” he said.
Reforms to 457 visas must be more than just a category name-change, he added.
“That’s just shifting deckchairs on the proverbial sinking ship.”
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