Posted on 08/17/2007 1:27:56 AM PDT by Cincinna
"How long is this going to be?" a middle-aged Moroccan woman whispered.
She was one of about 20 foreign-born residents of France - as diverse a group as one could imagine - who gathered in a classroom on a summer morning in Paris. What brought them there was an agreement each had signed with the government of France: They would try to integrate into society, accept French values and learn the language, and France would help them along the way.
The contract "of welcome and integration" has been mandatory since January for all people from outside the European Union applying for long-stay visas, except for students and seasonal workers. It is part of a package of immigration rules known as the "Sarkozy law," passed in July 2006, when Nicolas Sarkozy, now the president, was interior minister.
The routine procedures for a prospective long-stay visa holder include a medical examination, an interview and a language assessment. But the contract adds a new requirement: a day of civic training, regardless of the applicant's language fluency and the length of time spent in France.
The mix of people thrown together on this training day was worthy of an international reality TV show: a Tunisian woman who had lived in France for 19 years, a shy middle-aged housewife from California, a suave Ghanaian businessman, an upscale-looking Lebanese woman with a large gold cross and impeccable French, a couple of glowing newlyweds from the Philippines, and a wisecracking Australian.
And, of course, the instructor, an affable Frenchman in his 30s. On the eight-hour agenda, he announced, were lessons in essential French history, laws, values and political institutions, as well as a presentation on the European Union. It was a daunting agenda, the more so considering the instructor's tireless efforts to repeat everything in English.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
“France is certainly not alone in adopting increasingly rigorous integration policies. Other European countries, like the Netherlands, Germany and Britain, have established similar measures, including tests for potential citizens on the host country’s language, culture and principles.
But Sarkozy’s emphasis on national identity and “Frenchness” is unsettling to some migrants and political critics, who feel he is fundamentally hostile to immigration. After all, his detractors say, this is the man who stepped up the deportation of illegal immigrants and courted far-right voters by evoking (with slightly more tactful language) a slogan used by Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the anti-immigrant National Front party: “France, love it or leave it.”
Just another example of the fact that it is not enough to get elected, you have to lead. Make tough decisions and follow them through.
There is a lesson in here somewhere.
Quant a Rome, il faut faire comme les Romans.
I cant believe it....the French president has more nads than Jorge Boosh. While the French prez is trying to assimilate immigrants, Jorge goes anti-American, valuing the rights of illegals over the rights of Americans.
1: plant trees along the roads so the invaders can march in shade.
2:this is a white flag, it is meant for surrender.
3:let mooselimbs burn your vehicle and do nothing
4:don’t take baths more then once a week
5:treat foreigners visiting france like crap
That isn’t all they will teach immigrants to france but it is a good start.
“There is a lesson in here somewhere.”
Migrants to sit English test
The Federal Government will go ahead with a plan to introduce a citizenship test for migrants that will require applicants to have a basic understanding of English.
Prospective citizens will have to pass a computerised test that will also test their knowledge of the Australian way of life and history.
They will also have to sign a commitment to Australia’s values and way of life.
Migrants seeking permanent residency and temporary visa holders planning to stay more than 12 months will also have to give an undertaking to comply with Australian laws and values.
Prime Minister John Howard says the changes are designed to remove divisions in Australian society.
“This is a test that affirms the desirability of more fully integrating newcomers into the mainstream of Australian society,” he said.
“This is about cohesion and integration. It’s not about discrimination and exclusion.
“It’s not designed in anyway to keep some people out and encourage others to come in, that’s not the purpose of it.
Mr Howard says the new test is a positive move.
“This is not a negative discriminatory test,” he said.
“Nothing unites a country more than its common language because from a language comes a history and a culture.”
......
Seems Australia has learned that lesson well.
perhaps would be a good idea for US.
First lesson:
“’Chapeau’ means hat. ‘Ouef’ means egg. It’s like those French have a different word for everything.”
A moronic comment, not redeemed by the fact that many morons repeat it.
Here in Florida we get loads of frenchies during winter time.
Rude, smell and are cheap, and no one wants to see old men wearing those bannana hammocks they wear.
But hey I can only say what I actually see, or smell.
:’) And all we’re asking for is a fence on the southern border...
Displaying the White Flag 101
I took this civic training class over 2 years ago, although then it was optional. Everyone else in my class was either Arab or African and the teacher, a Moroccan, repeated some things in Arabic for the benefit of the Arab women in the class, in particular the rights of women in France. He loved having an American in his class and showed off his English skills and American history knowledge wherever he could.
It’s not perfect, but it’s a nice place to live.
Great news that the concept is spreading.
Hoping the USA will follow France and Australia.
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