Migrants should swear an oath of allegiance to British values as soon as they arrive in the country, a major Government report says today.
It warns that the pace and scale of immigration in recent years has been "too much" for some communities.
Rapid population change has also increased ethnic segregation and left communities more divided, report author Dame Louise Casey said. Warning of "escalating division and tensions in society", she called for greater efforts at integration to "bind Britain together".
The report, commissioned by David Cameron to try to address how some Muslim communities are cut off from the rest of society, also:
- Recommends schoolchildren are taught "British values" of tolerance, democracy and respect as well as the country’s laws, history and values;
- Warns that women are being held back by regressive cultural practices and face coercion, violence and abuse;
- Warns that children being taught at home or outside mainstream schools are being exposed to divisive practices;
- Calls on ministers to provide more English language classes for ‘isolated groups’.
Among community cohesion tsar Dame Louise’s recommendations is an "oath of integration with British values and society" for new arrivals. Migrants who want to come to the UK could also be required to sign up to "clear expectations on integration" when applying for
take a "Life in the UK" test about their knowledge of Britain to secure their right to stay.
Dame Louise also says the criteria for full citizenship should be reviewed. Her report says that while Britain has benefited hugely from immigration and increased ethnic and religious diversity, "nowhere near enough emphasis has been put on integration in communities to match the pace and scale of the change in our population in recent years".
In a bleak warning about the impact of mass immigration, it reports some communities saying the pace of change has been "too much"
for them to deal with.
Dame Louise, a former homeless charity executive, said last night: "Social integration is about closing the gaps that exist between people and communities.
"This report has found those gaps exist in terms of where people live but also in terms of the lives they lead and the opportunities they have to succeed. So it is about how we get on in life, as well as how we get along with each other.
"To help bind Britain together and tackle some of the division in our society, we need more opportunities for those from disadvantaged communities, particularly women, and more mixing between people from different backgrounds.
"We also need more of a spirit of unity, compassion and kindness that brings people together under our common British values of tolerance, democracy, equality and respect."
On values, the report says promoting British laws, history and values within the "core curriculum in all schools" would help build integration, tolerance, citizenship and resilience in children.
Dame Louise also says it is |extremely concerning| that some children are opting out of state education "without sufficient checks on their wellbeing and integration".
They should all be required to register with councils, and home schools should be told that ‘divisive practices are not acceptable in any setting’.
Dame Louise says efforts to promote integration in recent years have failed, adding: ‘They have been well-meaning but grossly insufficient to cope with the scale of the challenge.
"Events and projects that have been described to us as 'saris, samosas and steel drums' can help bring people together but too often attract the already well-intentioned and do not succeed in tackling difficult issues."
Her conclusions about the conditions facing some women are particularly excoriating.
Women face "persistent gender inequalities" in some communities, including poor language skills and lack of job prospects at best, and at worst "coercive control, violence and criminal acts of abuse, often enacted in the name of cultural or religious values".
Dame Louise also calls for more action to tackle "regressive and harmful" practices in Muslim communities, such as forced marriage, female genital mutilation and other abuses.
Dame Louise’s oath proposal has not even come before ministers, so is a long way from potentially becoming law.
Dr Alan Mendoza, executive director at the Henry Jackson Society security think-tank, said: "The Casey Review contains serious concerns about the state of integration between different communities in the UK today, particularly Muslim communities in certain areas. I would urge the Government to strongly consider the nature of this problem and commit to action to counter it."
Jon Yates, director of The Challenge, a leading social integration charity, said: "Unless we act urgently our country is in danger of becoming a less integrated and more divided place."