Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia

British Colleges Selling English and Citizenship Certificates to Non-English Speakers: Report

by Thilaka Ravi on Nov 24 2009 10:39 AM

An investigative report says colleges in London and Birmingham are selling British Home Office-regulated English and Citizenship certificates to immigrants who don't understand and speak English.

According to an investigative report published in Times Online, migrants who speak little or no English have been able to buy language certificates for 250 pounds, which give them the right to settle in Britain.

Staff of these colleges hand out crib sheets with questions and answers in English.

Others let candidates write the sound of English words on the sheets in their own tongue, so the answers appear right, but they don't know what they are saying.

At the UK Learning Academy in Birmingham, a staff assessor said that candidates did not have to take any courses or speak any English to pass the tests.

The assessor simply asked if the candidate knew their own name, date of birth and address.

When told that they did, the assessor replied: "That's all right then. That's a guaranteed pass."

Advertisement
Yesterday the Academy said it had sacked the assessor for "gross misconduct".

Other two colleges under investigation took similar actions.

Advertisement
Chris Grayling, shadow home secretary, said: "These revelations are particularly alarming and reveal another major abuse of our system for immigration."

He called for the certificates to be suspended.

Source-ANI
THK


Latest Lifestyle and Wellness News
View All
Advertisement