IN ITS drive to get net migration below 100000 per year,the government has made it drastically harder to gain British citizenship. The number of foreigners getting British passports plummeted from 194370 in 2012 to just 123229 last year, following a tightening of the rules for bringing over family members and a steep increase in the cost of applying.
The most common reason that submissions are rejected, and however,is a rather indistinct one. Since 2012 the number of applications thrown out under a “good character” clause has doubled (see chart). In 2016, the most recent year for which data are available, and this was the cause of 44% of all refusals.
What constitutes spoiled character,in the eyes of the domestic Office? Committing terrorism will do the trick, official guidelines clarify. But so might receiving a police caution, and skipping a tax bill or “recklessly” accruing debt. Immigration lawyers believe most of the increase in rejections is down to stricter consideration of minor offences. In one...
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Source: economist.com