An Australian opposition leader has called for a "series of barriers" while reviewing English proficiency of those applying for citizenship and favoured follow-up exams to ensure the language skills were not static.
Scott Morrison, the opposition's immigration spokesperson, made these remarks while delivering a speech titled 'Reasons to be optimistic about Australia's immigration future', Fairfax media reported today.
He argued that the country needed more than a "one-off snapshot of immigrants' English proficiency and follow-up tests could ensure language skills did not remain static."
"There is a great opportunity to have a series of barriers, if you like - a temporary entry (test), a permanent residence and potentially even citizenship, if people want to have that conversation," Morrison said.
He however did not put any specific deadline on the idea and when asked if his party would proceed with such tests for citizenship applicants, Morrison called his statements as simply "observations" for now.
"I don't think you rush into massive changes in that area lightly and I think you want to take a lot of advice on how you achieve that, but the principle, I'm saying today, is I want to see the English language and economic participation put at the centre of our settlement programs," he added.
Describing Australia as "arguably the most successful and cohesive multi-ethnic society in the world today," the leader called for integration within the diverse community.
"It's not about changing who you are...The various policies of the past 30 years, I agree with the purpose of them and that is to get Australians to live together and not be separated by language or religion or culture but to actually find the middle ground where we live together as Australians."
He also declared that asylum boats containing illegal migrants which start off from ports in Indonesia would be turned back without seeking the latter's agreement.
His statement comes a day after four people were killed when their boat carrying 150 asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq capsized off the Australian coast after starting its journey from Indonesia.
