The Labour Government has announced that foreign nationals wishing to become British citizens will have to earn the right to stay.

The tough new approach will require all migrants to speak English and obey the law if they want to gain citizenship and stay permanently in Britain, while speeding up the path to citizenship for those who contribute to the community.

The reforms are at the centre of a sweeping overhaul of all immigration laws dating back to 1971.  The new laws reserve full access to benefits and social housing for citizens and permanent residents.

Foreign nationals who commit serious offences will face automatic consideration for deportation - and even minor offences will delay access to citizenship by up to three years.

Public support for the proposals was confirmed by a new Home Office poll – research carried out by Mori revealed that:

* 70 per cent of the public think that newcomers should earn the right to stay in Britain;
* 83 per cent think that immigrants in Britain should be made to learn English; and
* 69 per cent agree that newcomers should be penalised on the path to citizenship if they don't obey Britain's laws.

Labour’s Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:

"In recent months we have listened to people across Britain and the message is clear - they want those who want to make Britain their home to speak English, to work hard, and to earn the right to stay here."

Labour’s Border and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said:

"Britain is not anti-foreigner, we're a welcoming, tolerant place. But we do expect newcomers to sign up to a deal if they want to stay and build a life in Britain.

"The public overwhelmingly supports the idea of newcomers earning their right to stay. Today we show how we'll make these ideas law, hand in hand with our new points system for selective migration, like the one that's worked so well in Australia."