BBC英语口语:英国移民新政提高英语门槛

Background: 英国政府即将实行一项新的移民政策。该政策要求来自非欧盟国家的准备和英国公民结婚的移民必须达到一定的英语水平。这项政策本来是工党打算在2011年实施的，但是英国新政府要求今年8月就开始实行。当然这项新政策也引起了争议。

【文本】

At present, the rules for spouses and partners of British citizens applying for a visa only require them to show that their marriage is real, and that they won't rely on the State for financial support. The British government says the requirement to speak English will help promote integration, remove cultural barriers, and protect public services. The Immigration Minister, Damian Green, says there are problems when immigrants can't communicate in English:

"You get large communities of people, many of whom - usually women - can't speak English properly and who therefore become isolated from the community around them and that's bad for them and it's bad for the wider community."

But critics of the plans say it restricts people's choices in who they marry. Don Flynn, of the Migrants' Rights Network, says people shouldn't be penalised for those choices:

"This is simply not an argument about whether or not people ... their lives will be better off if they learn English. They will be. The issue here is that the right to marry and found a family is a basic human right and is it proper, is it right, that that right to marry should be made conditional on passing a test in English? Our view is that it shouldn't be."

Officials estimate that the new language test will lead to ten percent fewer applications overall and is most likely to affect Britain's Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities. The spousal visa allows someone to stay for two years, after which they can apply for indefinite leave to remain. Applicants must then pass a further test on life and language in the United Kingdom.