Grants to Help Refugees with Australia’s Citizenship Test

The Australian Government will provide $3.4 million in grants to help refugees and other people who require special assistance prepare for the Australian citizenship test, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, announced during Refugee Week.

Senator Evans said the Citizenship Support Grants Program will provide funding for 33 community–based organizations across Australia, including migrant resource centers, English language service providers and technical and further education (TAFE) bodies.

‘These organizations will offer a range of services to support up to 35 000 people who may have difficulty in undertaking the computer-based citizenship test,’ Senator Evans said.

The Citizenship Support Grants Program will deliver a range of services in 2008-09 on a pilot basis including:

• advice and explanation of the responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship, Australian values, traditions, history and national symbols including assistance in other languages where English language proficiency is poor
• basic computer lessons to help people gain required proficiency to sit the test
• assistance to people to book in for the test and produce the required documentation
• advice on the process for conferral of citizenship once the test is passed.

‘The services will help refugees and other people overcome disadvantages such as low English proficiency, a lack of formal education, difficulty performing within a formal testing regime and little or no experience with computers,’ Senator Evans said.

The most recent snapshot report of the Australian citizenship test shows more than 25 000 people sat the test in the six months between October 2007 and March 2008.

However, there was a marked difference in the pass rate between migrants who came to Australia on work or family visas and those who came under the humanitarian program.

In the first six months of the test, 82 per cent of citizenship applicants who came as refugees or under the humanitarian program passed the test compared to 99 per cent of skilled migrants and 91 per cent of family migrants.

‘This means that about one in five of the test candidates who most need our support are yet to pass the test,’ Senator Evans said.

‘It is important that all eligible applicants are on an equal footing when seeking Australian citizenship, especially those who have come to Australia as refugees.

‘This program, which was initially funded by the previous government, will assist in encouraging refugees to take the test and not to view it in any way as a threat to their place within Australia.

‘The Rudd Government is committed to the citizenship test and is confident that it has a valuable role to play in preparing people for citizenship.’

An independent committee of seven eminent Australians is currently reviewing the operation and effectiveness of the citizenship test since its introduction on October 1 last year.

Committee chairman, Richard Woolcott AC, said the committee supported an educative approach to citizenship.

‘The Committee endorses the broad principles of the grants program,’ Mr Woolcott said.

‘We recognize that it is important that any current applicants have support to prepare for the current test, particularly in the context that any recommendations made by the Committee will take time to implement.

‘As the program is a pilot, it does not pre–empt or limit any recommendations the Committee may make in relation to the Citizenship Test.’

Information on the funding for the individual organizations is available here.
See: Citizenship Support Grants – Summary of Funding in 2008-09 (60KB PDF file)

Source: immi.gov.au

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