A-level English, voluntary work, delayed citizenship: it’s Labour’s Orwellian Two Minutes Hate for immigrants | Nesrine Malik

<p>Britain has been stripped of the spaces that allow for true social integration. But it’s easier for politicians to blame ‘outsiders’</p><p>Every few weeks, another announcement. Immigrants must do <em>this</em> to earn the right to stay in the UK. Others must do <em>that</em> if they are to be allowed to work in the UK. The demands grow more punitive and absurd, like the whiteboard of a meeting where everyone agreed there were no bad ideas. Voluntary work! A decade to receive citizenship! Hear me out: English A-levels!</p><p>These are all real policies and pledges. Migrant NHS doctors for example, labouring for long work days <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h1086">beyond what they are paid</a> for will now have to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0m4g3zvy02o">prove that they “contribute to society”</a> to earn permanent settlement in the UK. The benchmark for that contribution is volunteer work (sorry, <em>more</em> volunteer work) in the community. The five-year route to settlement is now being extended to 10, to make absolutely sure that in addition to being in work, paying taxes, making national insurance contributions and paying a hefty charge to use the NHS, you’re not taking the piss. The latest demand is that some migrants must be able to speak English to A-level standard because, according to home secretary Shabana Mahmood, “it is unacceptable for migrants to come here without learning our language, unable to contribute to our national life”.</p><p>Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2025/oct/20/labour-immigrants-a-level-english-work-citizenship">Continue reading...</a>