British Prime Minister Tony Blair says that immigrants to the United Kingdom need to assimilate into British culture:
LONDON (Reuters) - People wanting to settle in Britain had a duty to integrate and must conform to its values or stay away, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Friday.
Blair said the government would take a series of measures to encourage immigrants and minorities to mix with mainstream British society.
Migration had been good for Britain and London’s hospitality to many nationalities had made it perhaps the most popular capital city in the world, Blair said.
“But we protect this attitude by defending it. Our tolerance is part of what makes Britain Britain. So conform to it; or don’t come here. We don’t want the hate-mongers, whatever their race, religion or creed,” he told an audience that included academics, students and Muslim leaders.
And Blair is backing up his words with action:
Immigrants wishing to live in Britain will have to pass an English test and ethnic or religious groups seeking government grants will have to show they promote integration, Blair said.
There was no question of Britain allowing the introduction of religious law, he said.
According to recent media reports, some minority groups have their own courts in Britain ruling on divorce and disputes between neighbors and there is reported to be an unofficial Somali court in London dealing with criminal matters.
“We must demand allegiance to the rule of law,” Blair said.
To combat forced marriages, the government will consult on raising the age for people entering Britain to get married above the current minimum of 18, he said.
Blair’s remarks are clearly aimed at one specific group of immigrants, Muslisms, but his broader point has value and could just as easily apply to the United States. Unlike conservatives, I don’t have a problem with? immigration per se. The problem comes when large immigrant blocks stay within their own insular communities and don’t assimilate into American society.
