Immigrants should take an ‘integration oath’ and schools should teach kids British values, report finds
IMMIGRANTS should take an "integration oath" and there should be more emphasis on British values in schools, a report has found.
The Casey Review, commissioned by former Prime Minister David Cameron, also said public bodies often ignore or allow intolerant or dangerous religious practices as they do not want to be seen as racist.
The major review by government integration tsar Dame Louise Casey also found thousands of Muslims are completely cut-off, living in enclaves with their own housing estates, schools and television channels and rarely leaving their own neighbourhoods.
The report found this isolation has coincided with an increase in "regressive" ideology in some areas of Britain - including Bradford, Dewsbury and Blackburn, according to the .
In particular, Dame Louise highlighted the plight of women who found themselves marginalised through poor English language skills while being subjected to "coercive control, violence and criminal acts of abuse, often enacted in the name of cultural or religious values".
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Overall, the report suggests that while Britain has benefited hugely from immigration and the increased ethnic and religious diversity it had brought, there has not been enough emphasis on integration.
Dame Louise reportedly had her review delayed by the Home Office because of concerns over its critical tone.
Before its publication, an insider said it was going to prove "quite hard reading for some people", according to the Sunday Times.
Dame Louise said: "We need more effort to be put into integration policies to help communities cope with the pace and scale of immigration and population change in recent years.
"But we also need more of a spirit of unity, compassion and kindness that brings people together under our common British values of tolerance, democracy, equality and respect."
The report's recommendations
1. A programme of projects to boost cohesion e.g. IT courses and sports
2. Councils should regularly collect statistics on hate crime or deficiencies in English
3. Government and councils should share approaches to segregation
4. Schools should promote British values
5. A review of the "rights and obligations" of immigrants
6. An oath of integration with British values and society
7. Funding for school projects that encourage children of different backgrounds to mix
8. Classes to tackle any "cultural barriers" to employment prospects
9. More funding for English language classes
10. Councils to review whether housing policies help integration
11. More checks when children are taken out of mainstream education
12. Public office holders should pledge "tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs"
Meanwhile, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said the report was a "valuable contribution" and that he would be studying the findings closely.
He said: "This Government is building a democracy for everyone and our country has long been home to lots of different cultures and communities, but all of us have to be part of one society - British society.
"So while it's right that we celebrate the positive contribution that diverse groups make to British life, we also need to continue making sure that nobody is excluded from it or left behind. "
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