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The submission states the discussion paper fails to provide a clear evidence-based rationale, highlights uncertainty about implementation and affected applicants, and warns that proposed changes may disproportionately impact people from refugee and humanitarian backgrounds. It also contends the changes create inequalities among citizens and undermine integration goals.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/submission-discussion-paper-on-strengthening-the-test-for-australian-citizenship-1-june-2017/294746/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/submission-discussion-paper-on-strengthening-the-test-for-australian-citizenship-1-june-2017/294746.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Liam","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-27","2026-09-18",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",12,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What is the main concern about the proposed changes to the citizenship test?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"The submission argues the proposed changes will not serve the goal of fostering cohesion and integration, and may have the opposite effect.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"Why does the submission say the discussion paper’s case is not well supported?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"It states the paper does not provide evidence or clear reasoning for key proposals, including requirements related to residence duration, English language, and values testing.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"How does the submission describe potential impacts on different applicants?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"It highlights uncertainty about how the changes will operate and suggests the proposals are likely to have a disproportionate impact on people from refugee and humanitarian entrant backgrounds.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},294746,1789703265,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":140,"language":141,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":142,"faqs":143,"seo_title":144,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":130,"read_time":145},8796095461564,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","Submission  \nDiscussion paper on strengthening the test for Australian citizenship  \nDepartment of Immigration and Border Protection PO Box 25  \nBELCONNEN ACT 2616  \nBY ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION  \n1 June 2017  \nDear Sir/Madam  \nDiscussion paper on strengthening the test for Australian citizenship  \nThank you for the opportunity to make a submission addressing the issues that arise out of this discussion paper. We do so in our capacity as members of the Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at the Faculty of Law, UNSW. We are solely responsible for the views and content in this submission.  \nWe support the position, expressed in the Australian Government’s 2017 Multicultural Statement and reinforced in the discussion paper, that Australian citizenship is an important part of ‘our national identity as an integrated and united people’.1 We also agree with the statement in the introduction to the discussion paper that ‘[b]uilding mutual obligations between government, the community and the individual, regardless of nationality, strengthens our resilience and sense of belonging’. The objective of fostering a diverse and harmonious Australia, comprised of people from a broad range of cultures, races , faiths and nations, who seek to contribute to our society is, in our view, a laudable one.  \nWe are, however, concerned that the changes to the process for acquiring Australian citizenship proposed in the discussion paper will not serve the goal of fostering cohesion and integration amongst the Australian population, and may in fact have the opposite effect. Given the significant implications of the proposed changes for individuals and society, we suggest that it is incumbent on the government to justify why these changes are necessary.  \nIn our view, the case for the proposed amendments has not been made out. Our submission will address four specific concerns:  \n1. The discussion paper does not make a clear, evidence-based case for why the proposed changes are needed.  \n1 Australian Government, Strengthening the Test for Australian Citizenship (April 2017) , 5. 1  \n2. There is considerable uncertainty about how the proposed changes will operate, and which applicants for citizenship will be affected.  \n3. The proposed changes are likely to have a disproportionate impact on people from refugee and humanitarian entrant backgrounds.  \n4. The proposed changes create inequalities amongst citizens, and in doing so undermine the stated goal of fostering integration and cohesion.  \nWe outline each of these concerns in further detail below.  \n1. The discussion paper does not make a clear, evidence-based case for why the proposed changes are needed  \nThe discussion paper states that the reforms it proposes are ‘integral to Australia’s future asa strong and successful multicultural nation, united by our allegiance to Australia and commitment to freedom and prosperity’. However, it does not provide evidence or clear reasoning for why this is the case with respect to its key proposals.  \nFor instance, increasing the minimum period of permanent residence required to qualify for citizenship is said to ‘enable greater examination of an aspiring citizens’ integration within Australia’. It is not clear from the discussion paper why this is the case, or what criteria will be used to assess an aspiring citizen’s integration. Many of the examples of integration listed in the discussion paper are legal requirements, incumbent not only upon citizens and permanent residents, but upon all people who reside within Australia. We examine this further in part [2 .2] below.  \nThe discussion paper says that English language skills are ‘essential for economic participation and social cohesion’, and that there is ‘strong public support to ensure aspiring citizens are fully able to participate in Australian life, by speaking English, our national language’. We do not disagree. However, the discussion paper does not explain why the current English lang","cbCaibrNbqKJCAlM","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaibrNbqKJCAlM","pdf",412047,15,"English","# Overview\n## Key concerns raised\n# Evidence-based rationale\n## English language testing\n## Values testing and national cohesion\n# Implementation uncertainty\n## Affected applicants","[{\"question\":\"What is the main concern about the proposed changes to the citizenship test?\",\"answer\":\"The submission argues the proposed changes will not serve the goal of fostering cohesion and integration, and may have the opposite effect.\"},{\"question\":\"Why does the submission say the discussion paper’s case is not well supported?\",\"answer\":\"It states the paper does not provide evidence or clear reasoning for key proposals, including requirements related to residence duration, English language, and values testing.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the submission describe potential impacts on different applicants?\",\"answer\":\"It highlights uncertainty about how the changes will operate and suggests the proposals are likely to have a disproportionate impact on people from refugee and humanitarian entrant backgrounds.\"}]","Submission - Discussion paper on strengthening the test for Australian citizenship - 1 June 2017 | PDF",38]