The Prime Minister of Britain, David Cameron on Monday, January 18, said that Muslim women who fail to learn English language to a high standard could face deportation from Britain.
Cameron’s comments came as a result of the launch of the £20 million ($28.5 million, 26 million euro) language fund for women in isolated communities as part of a drive to build community integration by the Conservatives.
According to Vanguard, he also suggested that poor English skills can leave people “more susceptible” to the messages of groups like Islamic State (IS).
Presently, immigration rules already forces spouses to speak English before they come to Britain to live with their partners. But Cameron said they would also face further tests after two and a half years in the country to make sure their language skills were improving.
It is estimated by Cameron’s government that around 190,000 Muslim women in England (about 22 %) speak little or no English.
The British prime minister said that a lack of language skills could make Muslims in Britain more vulnerable to the message of extremist groups.
He said: “But if you are not able to speak English, not able to integrate, you may find therefore you have challenges understanding what your identity is and therefore you could be more susceptible to the extremist message.”
According to Alex Forsyth, BBC’s political correspondent, the British government was absolutely not suggesting people could be deported if they failed to reach the required level, but that language skills would be one factor taken into account when deciding whether to extend a person’s right to stay.
His comments however, drew criticism from Muslim groups and opposition parties, as Mohammed Shafiq, the chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, which campaigns for better community relations, accused Cameron of “disgraceful stereotyping”.
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