Migrants to sit English exams

December 11, 2006 03:57pm

NEW migrants will have to sit English exams and commit to following Australian laws under a new citizenship test being introduced by the Federal Government.

Prime Minister John Howard said today that the tests would apply to all new migrants who applied to become citizens after being in Australia for four years.

He said the tests, which require migrants to not only speak English but also be aware of Australian values, were not designed to be discriminatory.

"It is not designed in any way to keep some people out,'' Mr Howard said.

"It is designed not as some kind of Trivial Pursuit, but it is designed to ensure that people understand and have a working capacity in the national language, which is English.

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