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Ceremony for a citizen
19/12/2003
A NEW British citizenship ceremony involving an oath, a gift and
music will be launched in Oldham next Spring.
Nearly 1,000 people in the town, many of them Asian, are expected
to undergo the new ceremony.
The experiment is part of a new Government policy on British
citizenship.
The present citizenship procedures are wholly bureaucratic, an
application is submitted to the Home Office by post and, if the
application is successful, a citizen certificate is sent back by
post.
The new idea is to make the granting of citizenship an important
occasion.
In the Oldham experiment the applicant will be called before a
registrar at the town hall. The Union Jack will be unfurled to the
national anthem and the would-be citizen will have to swear an oath
of allegiance to the Queen, the country and British rights and
values.
There will be a gift or keepsake for each new citizen.
Other ideas include playing music alongside the national anthem,
inviting civic dignitaries to watch the ceremony and a welcome
speech about UK culture and traditions.
The cost of the ceremony in Oldham is expected to be £68 and will
be paid by the prospective citizen. Oldham is one of eight towns In
England and Wales chosen to run a pilot scheme which will be
extended to the rest of the country if successful.
Home Office Minister Beverley Hughes said: "Several countries
around the world already have citizenship ceremonies. I hope our
own home-grown ceremonies will reflect the national character and
offer a warm welcome to those who choose to make the UK their
permanent home.
"Separately we are also considering the recommendations of an
independent group on how to ensure that new citizens have knowledge
of English and life in the UK."
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