NATURALISATION REFORM

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2361, 18 January 1915, Page 6

NATURALISATION REFORM

A BRITANNIC CATECHISM. Q. What is a Britiih subject? A. A person of either sex and any age, who-.'owes allegiance to His Britannic Majesty. * / Q. ? What persons owe allegiance to' A. (1) Generally (speaking, all persons born within His Majesty's territories. . Such .persons are termed natu-ral-born British subjects; (2) foreign settlers who, having complied with the requirements v of the Naturalisation Laws, are admitted to His Majesty's allegiance and receive a certificate to that effect.-Such persons are called naturalised British'subjects. Q. Is the status or position of a naturalised subject the same as that of a natural-born.? _ 4-: No. A natural-born subject is a Bntash subject throughout the world: buu a naturalised subject, if naturalised in a Dominion or. colony—or- even, according to some authorities, if naturalised in Britain—becomes an alien again whenever he or she goes outside the territorial limits of that part of the Empire in which the certificate was ob-. ■ .- Q. Does it follow that aliens naturalised in one part of the Empire ore still aliens-in another part? ; A. Yes; unless in any part it is specially provided by local law that persons already naturalised, in another part of the Empire shall be locally recognised as British subjects without having to be naturalised afresh. There are such provisions now in the laws of all self-governing Dominions, but not ui.the law of Britain.

_ Q. By whom are the Naturalisation Laws made? \ ■','-..

oA. By the British Parliament for Britain;-by each Dominion Parliament for that Dominion; by the Governor-in-Cpuncil for India; and by the : local Legislatures for the Crown Colonies.

tj. Are these Naturalisation Laws the same in each part of the Empire? A. They are the same in principle,' but not in detail. Generally, the candidate for naturalisation must be of good character, must have resided a .certain period within the particular territory, and must declare his or her intention or continuing tx> reside within that tenitory. The main variation is in regard to the period of prior residence. In Britain it is five years, in Canada three years, in Australia and South Africa two years, while in New Zealand .no definite period is stated in the law. ■■••■:

Q. Since persons naturalised in a'Dominion., or colony ceaso in law to be British .subjects when they go outside its boundaries, does it follow that when abroad they cannot claim the protection of His Majesty? A. No; His Majesty does protect them. But whereas all natuial-born subjects receive that protection'as their right, these naturalised subjects receive it only by. courtesy. Q. What, is the purpose of the Natu-' rahsation Bill'which'has been prepared for the British Parliament at the request of the Imperial Conference? A. To effect a reform whereby (1) the whole Empire, not any particular .part of it, would be the territorial area within which prior or future residence i 6 required; (2) an alien naturalised in any part of the Empire would he a British subject 'throughout the world, on the same footing as a natural-born, subject, provided that (8) he or she has fulfilled certain standard conditions ?

Q. What.are-to be the standard condition6r'

A. (1) Good character; (2) five years' prior residence within the Empire, provided that the last year is spent in the country where the application for a certificate will be made; or else five'years spent in the service of the Crown out of the last eight; (3) declaration of intention to continue residing within the Empire; (4) adequate knowledge of the English or other official language. Q. How will the Bill effect thi6 reform?

A. By (l)amending the local law of Britain so as to prescribe the standard conditions for naturalisation in .Bri;tain;'(2), "making it clear that persons naturalised • thereunder will be British subjects throughout the world; and (3) recognising'" 'that • naturalisation laws passed by the Dominion Parliaments or Colonial Legislatures will have the same "extra-territorial" effect, provided such laws ]ikewise ; . prescribe the standard conditions. •

.; Q. Must;the Dominions, then, do away with their shorter periods or prior residence, and adopt the five-year period before 'they can turn their foreign immigrants into local citizens?

A. No, not necessarily. Any Dominion, could, 'if it liked, retain the shorter period for 'ocal naturalisation as hitherto.'-->But - a person naturalised anywhere after less than five, years within the Empire would have to await the completion of five years before receiving the certificate of a British subject throughout the world.

Q. What are the duties and privileges of a British Bubject? A. The whole duty of a British subject is, as expressed in the oath which an alien' takes on naturalisation, "to be faithful and bear true allegiance to" His Britannio Majesty. The main privilege is that of being defended by His Majesty against personal oppression, especially when residing in a foreign country, or when travelling abroad. Q. But does not naturalisation. also give a right to vote, and a right of free entry to any part of the Empire? A. No; each self-governing part of the Empire determines for itself what persons shall ho allowed to enter its territory and what persons shall have Jthe vote. The restrictions imposed by local law on immigration, and the qualifications required by local law for ob-, taining the local franchise, apply to naturalised subjects just the same as to natural-born. .Children, for example, and in most parts of the Empire Avomen, do not have the vote, although thoy are British subjects, and the immigration laws generally make no distinction between British subjects and foreigners.