Upcoming event: Overcoming Barriers to Britishness

Overcoming Barriers to Britishness: how can citizenship reform help build a better integrated Britain?

Join the discussion on Wednesday 12th May, 2-3pm by registering here for this virtual APPG event.

Panellists:

• Alberto Costa MP - Chair of the Inquiry into Citizenship Policy

• Jill Rutter - Associate Fellow, British Future, and Secretary to Alberto's Inquiry

• Tashi Tahir - Parliamentary Officer, We Belong

• Co-chaired by the APPG on Migration & APPG on Social Integration

Other panellists to be announced

Two-thirds of the public agree that it’s good when migrants who are settled in the UK decide to take citizenship (ICMUnlimited for British Future, 2020). Research suggests that becoming British benefits both new citizens and wider society by offering security and access to rights, as well as contributing to a greater sense of belonging. However, only a small percentage of those eligible for citizenship currently take up the offer.

The APPG on Migration and the APPG on Social Integration invite you to hear the recommendations from Alberto Costa MP’s inquiry which examined the barriers that prevent more people living in the UK from becoming British. Drawing on experts from parliament and civil society, this event will discuss these barriers as well as the recommended policy changes.

As the inquiry’s report ‘Barriers to Britishness’ notes, parliamentarians can play an important role in engaging the Home Office on this agenda and promoting citizenship at a constituency and community level. Therefore, this event will also focus particular attention on the concrete actions parliamentarians and officials at the Home Office can take towards ensuring that these barriers to acquiring citizenship are overcome.

The RAMP Project provides the secretariat to the APPG on Migration. British Future is the convenor of Alberto Costa MP's inquiry and provides the secretariat to the APPG on Social Integration.