Immigration: the test case

Talk of immigration is on the rise: a new survey claims most voters feel immigration is bad for Britain; Gordon Brown has made a speech declaring his intention to tighten up policy in the area; and while recently released figures indicate that net migration has in fact fallen by a third, so more people left Britain than came in over the last 12 months, there are still people who complain about the number of people entering Britain.

Some argue that the hot air generated around the issue means hard facts are overlooked in favour of pandering to opinion polls. Policymakers often fail to look at the complexities of the migration process. Today, as part of a reformed immigration strategy, the different groups seeking to enter or settle in Britain are confronted with a range of formal assessments, including English language and Life in the UK tests. These tests take place at different stages of the "journey to citizenship", as the Home Office likes to call it.

Read more about these tests and the contoversy that surrounds them