LONDON: The UK plans to unveil tougher citizenship rules under which immigrants will have to "earn" their right to stay by integrating themselves fully to the British society, including acquiring a sound knowledge of English.Under the proposed changes to rules, immigrants will have to "earn" the right to a passport rather than simply achieving it through five years' residence. The measure will end the automatic right to stay and replace it with a new system of "earned citizenship" and temporary residence.The latest measure announced by the Home office proposes that immigrants making little effort to integrate into the British society will have to wait longer for citizenship. Immigrants convicted of serious criminal offences could be barred from citizenship and those found guilty of minor crimes may face delays in having their applications processed. Those seeking citizenship will have to demonstrate a good ability in English and a knowledge of life in Britain. Immigrants who do no voluntary work will qualify only after eight years and those who become unemployed will be asked to leave. The government proposes to levy a top-up fee on immigrants to create a fund expected to run to 20 million pounds. Cash from the fund will be districted to local authorities facing short-term pressure because of an influx of migrants.
Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in...
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