London: Migrant workers in Britain may have to sit for an English test under a new proposal being considered to boost their grasp of the language.
The Commission on Integration and Cohesion has suggested that language represents the largest barrier in Britain to community relations and integration and those seeking to work in the country or join a spouse should be able to demonstrate an adequate hold on English, according to reports.
"Learning English is clearly the responsibility of the individual, but local authorities, central government and employers have a key role in supporting migrants to improve their language skills. Translation should never be a substitute for learning English in the first place," commission chairman, Darra Singh, said.
The commission was set up last year in the wake of the July 7, 2005, London
bombings.
The interim report also noted that "isolation and separation" occur when migrants do not have a good grasp of English and called for free English lessons, currently being offered to unemployed migrants, to be extended to workers and spouses.
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