Multicultural opposition to citizens tests

THE Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory has come out in opposition of the federal government’s proposed changes to Australian citizenship eligibility.

Council president Kevin Kadirgamar said he was concerned some of the changes would be counter-productive to achieving a united and inclusive Australia.

“While the MCNT acknowledges and appreciates the need for strict vetting of applicants’ character and adherence to national values, the other proposed changes, by way of imposing an English language test and requiring permanent residents to wait for four years before applying for citizenship, are disconcerting,” he said.

Mr Kadirgamar said the new tests would unfairly target vulnerable groups.

“This is inconsistent with the spirit of egalitarianism envisaged in the Australian Values Statement, that embraces mutual respect, tolerance, fair play and compassion for those in need and pursuit of the public good,” he said.

He called on political leaders to ensure any changes would be based on “robust empirical evidence and not political considerations”.

Under the proposed changes, permanent residents will only be eligible to apply for citizenship after four years, rather than the current one, and will only be allowed to fail the test three times.