'Immigrants should learn English before arriving - report

Immigrants to the UK should learn English before they arrive, or be enrolled in a compulsory language course when they get here, according to a parliamentary report.

The report by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on social integration also called on ministers to consider a radical overhaul which could see regions given the power to set their own immigration policy.

"Through the introduction of policies aimed at directing population flows to areas of the country which require higher levels of immigration or do not currently attract a great many immigrants, policymakers might minimise strain on public services and on community relations whilst bolstering regional economies," the report said.

Last month a report by Dame Louise Casey found areas of Britain are struggling to cope with the pace and scale of change as a result of immigration.

It said that schoolchildren should be taught "British values" of tolerance, democracy and respect to help keep communities together amid growing "ethnic segregation".

It also called for more English classes for isolated groups, greater mixing among young people through activities such as sport, and a new "oath of integration" enshrining British values for those who hold public office.

Labour MP Chuka Umunna, chair of the APPG, said: "The Government has a duty to address the lack of integration of immigrants if it is to address this. Failing to do so has left a vacuum for extremists and peddlers of hate to exploit."

Jon Yates, of social integration charity The Challenge, said: "It is no longer enough to focus solely on the numbers of immigrants arriving in the UK, while ignoring what happens to them and their host communities after arrival."

A Government spokesman said: "Our priority is to build an immigration system that works for everyone in the UK and delivers the control we need."

The APPG also called for:

:: A new national Government strategy for the integration of immigrants including issues such as access to the labour market and awareness of the UK's laws, traditions and culture.

:: Councils to set up local integration action plans and the immediate introduction of an Integration Impact Fund.

:: The Home Office to investigate whether new immigrants could be placed on pathways to citizenship automatically upon arrival.