The future of many of Australia's permanent residents is up in the air as the government revises its citizenship laws.
Permanent residents in the process of becoming citizens have told SBS World News the pending amendments to Australia’s citizenship laws have them confused and worried.
The government has proposed changes that, if passed, throw their plans out of the window. That includes the Saqib family in suburban Melbourne.
'Changing the rules midway'
Najam Saqib and wife Zunera fell in love with Australia, long before they migrated from Pakistan in 2011. Najam worked in Qatar for a few years to fund their move, as Zunera and son Jasim settled in suburban Melbourne.
Zunera said she and Jasim were close to completing the citizenship application process, prior to the government's announcement of the changes on April 20.
"It was really nice to be here in 2011 for my son, for a better future. I was more confident. I was so happy that I will be getting my citizenship. It’s like a milestone you know,” she told SBS World News.
“And it really hurt and it was really sad to know the rules have changed."
Najam is a systems engineer, while Zunera has worked in childcare and is six months pregnant. Najam said their plans are on hold as they await the fate of the citizenship bill.
"You shouldn't change the rules midway,” he argued.
“That's the thing, you bring people on a different rule, and then you change the rule midway. That's what bothers us a lot. The stability is not there. I don't know in next three years or four years what more rules will come forward."
Tougher language test
A major point of concern with the new laws is a revised English test. Language requirements would be raised from 'basic' to 'competent' English. Permanent residents would have to achieve a band six in the international English language test.
That is roughly the same score needed to enter university. But Assistant Immigration Minister Alex Hawke disputes that.
"It is not is 'university-standard' English. It's a general competency under the IELTS framework of six,” Mr Hawke said.
“Most people pass the current test. And we believe that it's an appropriate level. And I think most of the public think a higher English language requirements is reasonable. People want to see English language requirements in general. We don't think the level is too high."
But a Senate inquiry into the bill disagreed, recommending the language requirements be lowered.
"It does need clarification, and it does need to be at a standard that is appropriate,” Inquiry chairman, Liberal Senator Ian Macdonald, explained.
“It doesn't need to be so high that a lot of people who will make, and have made, very good citizens, will be excluded."
Major opposition
Even the United Nations has opposed the changes, concerned they may fall foul of international conventions.
The Coalition, however, maintains a tougher test is completely necessary.
Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, the daughter of Italian migrants, believes times have changed, and so to have appropriate language standards.
"You know when my father came to Australia we were a manufacturing-based economy. People learnt English on the job. The need for good English, or English beyond the daily competence, was not necessary,” the Senator said.
“Whereas now we are a service-based economy. And as a service-based economy, English is vitally important. And so therefore there is, in my view, very strong support for a change from a basic level to a competent level."
A storied history under jeopardy?
Roughly 7.5 million migrants have been welcomed to Australia since World War Two, 825,000 under its humanitarian program.
Alex Hawke argues that proves Australia's storied history of acceptance isn't under jeopardy.
"The public want to see a higher standard on citizenship; they want to see higher English language requirements, they want to see us taking more time to get to know people, and that we have an emphasis on Australian values," Mr Hawke said.
Najam Saqib and wife Zunera moved to Australia in 2011. Zunera was close to completing her citizenship application, before changes were announced in April. (SBS World News) Source: SBS World News
But Najam Saqib says his family feels otherwise, and now do not know what will happen to them next.
“So now if you ask me what’s next…I don’t know,” he said.
