by Sylwia Heller
The situation of immigrants in the UK after Brexit is still uncertain. But, one of the things which politicians talk about is the need to integrate migrants with British.
The government already declared that it spent £20m on English language lessons. In December 2016 a report by Dame Louise Casey concluded that there are certain levels of isolation of migrants in some areas. Because of this it calls for more English classes.
Moreover, the report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Integration calls the government to make it compulsory for immigrants to learn English before they come to the UK or shortly after. The group highlights the importance of learning English because it is “prerequisite for meaningful engagement with most British people”.
Labour MP Chuka Umunna, who chairs the all-party group, says that integration carries a duty on immigrants to learn English and on the government to fund English language lessons. He also added that, although some regions would say that they do not want immigrants, the British economy dictates that most parts of the UK need them.
However, the government spokesman said: “Our country has long been home to lots of different cultures and communities, but all of us have to be part of one society – British society.”
Moreover, he said that £140m was available through a “controlling migration fund” for councils to manage the impact of immigration.
He also says that: “we must also recognise that uncontrolled, mass immigration makes it difficult to maintain social cohesion and puts pressure on public services.” He also declares that: “Our priority is to build an immigration system that works for everyone in the UK and delivers the control we need.”
But, currently, there are no details about how the migration controls will be performed after Brexit.