Play By The Rules And Get Punished Anyway?

[Kromovaracun]

https://www.economist.com/news/britain/21741587-extraordinarily-vague-good-character-test-accounts-rocketing-number-citizenship?fsrc=scn/fb/te/bl/ed/promiscuousdivorcedeccentriclookingyoumaybedeniedapassportnosexpleasewerethehomeoffice

The Home Office is increasingly making use of an arbitrary "good character" clause to deny applications of British citizenship. Falling foul of this clause includes any record of minor offenses (including speeding tickets), looking to too eccentric, or - bizarrely - being too promiscuous.

This means that someone who wants to naturalise and passes all other standards - i.e. has the means to support themselves financially, has lived here for a sufficiently long period, has passed the English language and Life in the UK tests, paid their NHS surcharges, etc., can be denied UK citizenship because of their sex lives or how they dress. About 40% of citizenship applications are denied under this clause.

This is disgraceful. We are always hearing that "good immigrants" with something to offer are welcome, but are willing to deny naturalisation based on utterly flimsy criteria in order to meet an arbitrary 100k target. The target obsessed culture in the HO is making us look like a paranoid backwater that just hates all foreigners.

[Kromovaracun]

What does good character mean, Naomi? The HO refuses to define it, so an applicant cannot prove it. It's a soundbite that refers to the arbitrary whim of the HO.

ymb: some 40% of applications are denied under "good character." I'm afraid I don't have time to sift through them all, and even if I did, the HO office (for some reason) refuses to state how many of those applications have been turned down for the divorce/eccentricity/promiscuity that are mentioned in the guidelines (which you can read yourself if you don't believe me). So it looks I won't have your backing today :(

[naomi24]

Krom, // What does good character mean//

As you say applications are denied under "good character", but like you I'm afraid I don't have time to sift through them all either. However, ‘notorious’ is not generally considered to be an indication of good character.

[Kromovaracun]

Sorry, 40% of denials, not 40% of applications. Typo.

Am going off to do some work now. Back soon.

[New Judge]

Speeding, since it's mentioned, is a criminal offence. Those with convictions from a court could be said to have lost their good character. Those who are subject to fixed penalties do not have a conviction against their name, but it is arguable that they, too, show bad character by ignoring the law.

Defendants in court facing motoring offences are often the most indignant, declaring that they should not "be standing here like a common criminal". But that's what they are.