A rethink on " Citizenship " ?

Saturdays riot in the centre of Sydney must have some people giving our " Citizenship " policy serious thought.   A large group of people objecting to an event that happened in another country used violence to disrupt the city centre, fight and injure police and call for extreme violence against those who insulted their religion.   All this had absolutely nothing to do with Australia and leading the trouble was an obvious group of  fundamentalists who were urging others to break our laws.

We accept an intake of refugees each year and they are usually quickly granted citizenship.  This requires them to make a promise that they will obey our laws and be good citizens, but if they lie and go on to break those laws the pledge we made in good faith holds and they have equal rights with those born here - and they can not be deported.

Perhaps it is time to consider a period of probation on citizenship.   Gaining that coveted certificate is a privilege that should be earned.  It certainly should not be bestowed lightly.   In particular, those who pay people smugglers to bring them to our shores in boats and then destroy all means of identification to make it difficult for immigration to check their bona-fides should have to prove that they are of good intent by serving a long apprenticeship before they are even considered for that valuable permanent residency award.

The period of probation should directly relate to what we are able to learn about an applicants past life and conduct.   Those who come here through the legitimate immigration process have documents that can serve this purpose  and could be processed to citizenship in a reasonably short period of time, but those of a deliberately unknown quality should not be granted that guarantee of permanent residence until they have served an apprenticeship measured in years.

A migrant applicant who undertakes a life of crime, refuses to adhere to the laws of this country and holds inflammatory religious views that lean towards religious violence should never be granted citizenship.   It is not sufficient to extract a pledge that in so many cases is instantly broken.  It would not be unreasonable to expect an incoming migrant to prove by the passage of a nominated period of time that they genuinely intend to live and work peacefully in this country before they receive an award of citizenship.

Muslim community leaders were appalled  at what happened in Sydney on Saturday.  It is evident that this mob was led by a hard core of extremists and others of a more moderate view were swept along.  Some families brought children with them, and some of these kids were displaying signs that called for the beheading  of those with a different religious view.     It would be reasonable to expect that those hardliners were all comfortably hiding behind a citizenship certificate that ensures their residency rights.

We need a rethink on citizenship.    That is a right that needs to be earned and it certainly should not be bestowed lightly.    The vast majority of people who have come to this country have settled well into the Australian way of life and we now have a population of over twenty-two million.

That event on Saturday shows that there are some seeking this country's protection that have no intention of adopting the Australian way of life - nor should they ever be granted the right to call themselves " Australian " !