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by Victor Jayanetti - Our London Correspondent

Presenting the new White Paper on asylum and immigration, at a press conference held in London, Home Secretary David Blunkett suggested that Asian families who arrange marriages for their children should look for a spouse from Britain and not from overseas. The white paper titled Secure Borders, Safe Haven, may trigger a new row over multiculturalism many observers believe.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Blunkett said, Its twin aims are to manage migration and as a result cut the number applying for asylum, and to break down cultural barriers between communities that can explode into the inner-city rioting seen last summer. It also proposes to open up work opportunities for non-EU subjects who may be misusing the refugee system to take temporary jobs in Britain.

According to Home Secretary, in future foreigners seeking British nationality will be required to attend citizenship classes, learn English and take a loyalty pledge. Unlike America, where there is a full-blown ceremony, obtaining British citizenship is an anti-climactic affair. Immigrants receive a Home Office letter asking them to attend an interview with a magistrate or lawyer before whom they swear a 28-word oath of allegiance. They are then sent a formal certificate in the post.

The White Paper suggests greater symbolic importance be attached to achieving British nationality. There would be a public citizenship ceremony in register offices or other suitable places. These could be held individually or in groups and a new citizenship pledge would be taken.

Before getting to the citizenship ceremony, an immigrant would need to produce a certificate showing they had passed a test in English. This will apply to people already in Britain who seek naturalisation in future and to the spouses and family members of citizens.

The level of competence required has not been decided but applicants will be expected to follow the curriculum under a scheme known as English for Speakers of Other Languages.

It is a fundamental objective of the Government that those living permanently in Britain should be able, through adequate command of the language and an appreciation of our democratic processes, to take their place fully in society.

The White Paper foreshadowed the second major overhaul of the asylum system since Labour came to power. A network of accommodation centres will be set up to house asylum seekers, ostensibly to speed up the application process, though there will not be enough spaces for everyone. To start, four centres housing 750 people each will be opened. Asylum seekers will have to carry identity cards which will replace food and clothing vouchers.

Our changes will ensure that claims are dealt with fairly and swiftly while people who have exhausted the immigration process and no longer have the legal right to live in Britain will not remain here, Mr Blunkett said. We also propose to develop ways in which some refugees will have their claim considered before they reach Britain.

The White Paper promises to bear down on bogus marriages designed to win a British passport. Previous governments have promised similar measures but the White Paper says there are now more than ever.

It proposes the probation period for new marriages should be doubled to two years to uncover which are sham and which are genuine relationships. In 2000, more than 38,000 people were granted the right to live in Britain through marriage.

The paper also questions the cultural practice, common in Pakistani and Indian communities, of sending children to the sub-continent to marry men or women they have rarely, if ever, met before. The Government says that, if arranged marriages are to continue, they are best conducted among the population already in Britain.

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