Apparently the test was being made available for people at the Wrexham Library as part of Refugee week. Aled Roberts, the Council leader, and senior figures took the test as well. Even Isobel Garner took the test. The good news is that Mr Roberts did end up passing the test. However, there were other officials that just narrowly failed the test. The council would not confirm which officials did not pass, though.

This test, which was introduced in 2005, is a requirement for settlement, or indefinite leave, to remain in the UK, or to have the right for full British citizenship. Candidates have a total of 45 minutes to answer 24 questions. The candidates need to answer at least 75 percent of the questions right.

The test that residents in Wrexham took part in was a multiple choice question test. It included such questions as, In which year did women get the right to vote? Another question was, Since 1951, the population of the UK has grown by?

Aled Roberts said that the refugees really do have to do a lot of studying about the way of life in the UK in order to live in the UK. They have to know everything from statistics, to laws and even culture to stand a chance on the test. This is, of course, on top of having to learn a new language.

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According to statistics released by the UK Home Office, 12,400 Bangladeshis were awarded citizenship in 2009. This is a 231 percent increase on 2008 levels. Britain started publishing citizenship statistics back in 1962.

More than 200,000 residents and emigrants were able to attain British citizenship through applications in 2009, this was a new record. Of these emigrants, 50 percent of them got citizenships for living in Britain for a long period. Another 25 percent of them got citizenships through their spouses and 25 percent got it through birth.

According to experts, any resident who lives as an emigrant in Britain for at least five years is eligible to apply for citizenship by following certain conditions. The emigrants from the sub-continent top the list of people who got citizenships last year. Among these people, 25,035 Indians got citizenships, as well as 20,945 Pakistanis.

According to the 2001 census report, around 600,000 Bangladeshis are currently living in the UK. Their actual number, according to experts, will not be known until after the 2011 census. The Home Office statistics state that there are higher birth rates among residents of Bangladesh origin. This could be the reason, or at least one of the reasons, behind the surge in citizenship for Bangladesh citizens.

The UK government has recently taken a sticker position about granting citizenship, however. The knowledge of English is a must for any applicant. They also have to sit for a spoken and written English exam.

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The Foreign Office revealed in a report last week that warnings of overcrowding made by right-wing pressure groups, notably the BNP, were not supported by the facts which show increased outgoing and decreased incoming migration.

In the well-publicised BBC Question Time show last week, BNP leader Nick Griffin said that the time had come for Britain to shut its borders as the country was becoming overcrowded. Griffin also made claims the day after Question Time that ethnic cleansing had resulted in London no longer being considered as a British city.

However, findings suggest that the immigration issue is under control although still relatively high when compared with other European countries according to the report made by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

In 2008, Britain let in 441,000 foreign nationals as compared to 460,000 in 2006. In the same time period some 237,000 foreigners departed the UK, up from 173,000. With the number of citizenship grants falling from 165,000 to 130,000 in the year the net result for these figures alone is close to 90,000 people leaving the country.

The number of applications for UK citizenship has also decreased in the recent past as fewer people have attempted to move to Britain in the midst of the recession.

The findings refute recent use of immigration as a worrisome issue. In recent years the number of Britons who have called immigration a concern has risen from 5% to 30%, suggesting the ongoing media and political debate is stimulating negativity. Racially motivated attacks have increased by 20,000 this year so far and by nearly 30% overall in the past five years.

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The Bolivian man was deemed to have the right to remain in Britain because sending him home would be a breach of his civil rights which stipulate that he is entitled to remain in the UK owing to a settled private home life, citing his cat and girlfriend as evidence. The ruling was made by The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) officer Judge James Devittie and left officials representing the Home Secretary flabbergasted. Lawyers from The Home Office appealed the decision but were again denied.

Neither the identity of the Bolivian man nor the cat was revealed apparently to protect the identities of both.

The case has been labelled a farce in the media, particularly given the expense to the taxpayers is estimated in the thousands of pounds and more so after a senior immigration officer, Judge Judith Gleeson, made comments in the official ruling that the feline could rest easy in the knowledge that its diet would not have to be changed to Bolivian mice.

Solicitors representing the Bolivian man had informed the court that the purchase of the pet by him and his girlfriend was one example of several that proved beyond doubt that he was in a committed relationship. To support their application for residency and again in the appeal the cat was used as evidence that they were committed to a genuine relationship together in the UK.

The shadow immigration minister Damian Green labelled the law and ass saying the episode was laughable.

In the past week several foreign nationals have been ordered home despite having wives, husbands and children in the UK. The same court has also allowed criminals and murderers to remain in the country citing human rights concerns.

The case comes a week after The Sunday Telegraph disclosed how the same court had given permission for more than 50 foreign criminals, including killers and sex offenders, to avoid deportation because of human rights concerns.

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And so it was for the seven new citizens who can now benefit from applying for a British passport. Obtaining such a passport would allow EU residential and working rights and entry into the US under the joint Visa-Waiver programme. The new citizens were congratulated offered best wishes by territory Governor David Pearey. Mr Pearey also stressed the seriousness with which citizenship is taken by the Home Office. In his address the Governor stated that the UK required not just a connection and commitment to Britain but an understanding of language and history, pointing out the unique historical ties between the Virgin Islands and the UK.

The seven newcomers were also taken through their rights as British citizens which in addition to the right to residency include freedom to travel to the UK without prior permission for leisure, work or study purposes.

Those wishing to apply for a British passport must do so via the Washington office to maintain the Home Office’s commitment to  a high level of customer service and international security.

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Home Secretary Representatives said the new rules for citizenship are very specific and fair. They say the rules will protect both the rights and benefits of UK citizenship. The guidelines state citizenship will be available to those who can prove they have a desire to embrace shared values and a show a willingness to make a contribution to the community.

The changes affecting citizenship rules would be supported by a new law that is thought to replace all current immigration laws and will go before Parliament later in 2008.
If passed, the new naturalization requirements would give direction to citizenship which involves various stages including; the probationary time would delay full citizen benefits until migrants have completed the trial, the migrants proving they have improved their English speaking ability, and migrants who are proven to be guilty of criminal acts resulting in a jail are barred from applying for citizenship.

The law would also state that migrants who are guilty of only minor incidents during their trial period will be allowed to have their visa extended. It also says that migrants must contribute financially to a new fund designed to provide extra financial aide to communities experiencing negative changes from migration expenses. The law would grant citizenship more quickly to migrants who engage in volunteer work.

They believe the UK economy and communities are and will continue to grow stronger for the contribution of immigrants in the UK and officials think it’s important that the benefits of citizenship are balanced with responsibility to their new home.

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