Question:
Is this an appropriate question for the British Citizenship questionnaire? ?
2008-10-12 08:32:43 UTC
This was a multi choice question on the form an American friend had to answer on her application for British Citizenship.

Where does Santa Claus come from?

a) Finland
b) Iceland
c) The North Pole
Nineteen answers:
2008-10-12 09:06:30 UTC
and there's me thinking it was greenland, anyway, your American friend would surely know he's from coca cola,an advertising campaign
2008-10-13 00:17:16 UTC
In multiple choice questionnaires such as this there's usually a number of key questions the examiners look out for - buried away quite innocently in a lot of fairly easy ones. Someone could score well by pure lucky guessing or having a vague but less than certain idea of the right answer. Santa Claus (not St Nicholas) is embedded in our culture and a child of 5 or 6 might well plump for the North Pole (not that he/she would be required to undergo the test).

But - I guess - the answer to this particular could be relevant in the case of someone misrepresenting themselves, perhaps with false Universty degree diplomas (easily purchased) claiming to love all things British, a regular listener to BBC's world programmes, readind British newspapers etc. A genuine candidate of such a claimed calibre would 'score' if they answered North Pole - but then added "mythological" or "as told to children" or "doesn't exist".

The important point is that one such Q taken in isolation would be of no account - but if taken together with say half a dozen others spread over 50 would give grounds for further enquiry if the answers were somewhat bizarre.

I read somewhere, a while ago, that the German Citizenship Questionnaire is deliberately difficult in order to limit successful applications. If that is true - apologies if not so - perhaps the British approach is just a bit more subtle.

What is beyond dispute is that immigration and citizenship controls in the UK have been disgracefully poor for many years - especially under Blair and Brown - with profound effects on the sense of us being a United Kingdom. Too late in the day, more effort is being made but with numbers much in question many think the damage is done and longer term the face of Britain will be changed forever - and not for the better.
?
2016-05-25 09:24:34 UTC
No. Your baby will take on either you or your wifes nationality. The law changed after 1983 and clearly states that a child needs to be born in the UK and that one of their parents has to be a british citizen at the time of their birth. That is not the case for either of you so - no - your child is not entitled to British Citizenship through birth. Their are other factors to consider such as your nationality. You or your partner need to gain British citizenship first.
pinkhamster (nWo) Abolish Blair
2008-10-12 08:45:58 UTC
I think analysing one question alone is a problem. This is obviously an easy question but, tests tend to have a range of questions easy to hard. I doubt all the questions were this easy.



That being said Christmas is apart of the British culture and therefore a worthwhile question to ask. It may seem stupid to us but, I bet many people have got this wrong and hence not granted citizenship.
2008-10-12 12:50:10 UTC
Yes!The North Pole! Gordon Clueless Brown told me!
?
2008-10-12 12:35:39 UTC
I think your friend is missing the point of the "life in the UK" test. It is an English language test, disguised as a british culture test. The test is not where santa is from, but can you understand the question in the first place.
stromboli the magician
2008-10-12 13:24:17 UTC
yes everyone knows he comes from the north pole so its a good question if they didn't get it right they should not be allowed in
jenningsnetty
2008-10-12 14:11:20 UTC
yes this question is just fine

as its all about being British

Is it not a Britishness test.



Then every true BRIT i know will know the answer to this question



If people want to be part of my country they have to know and accept the culture that goes with it.
2008-10-12 08:45:50 UTC
None of the above he comes down the chimney get you in for sure!!



What do you mean he doesnt exist who ate the mince pies and drank the sherry then?
XYZ
2008-10-12 08:39:20 UTC
Is this a joke? What does this have to do with a British citizenship test? This is crazy!
kriti.jain95
2008-10-12 19:50:32 UTC
not at all its a stupid and a silly quess and there is no link of santa and british citizenship
Angela P
2008-10-12 08:36:36 UTC
Lol are you serious? ha ha . i dont see the relevance. Also, if you wanted to be picky, Santa Claus actually originated in Turkey!
Snot Me
2008-10-12 08:38:24 UTC
it's asking if people know anything about British culture
crunchymonkey
2008-10-12 08:35:46 UTC
yes

and its the north pole
Thorpe-le-Soken
2008-10-12 08:38:47 UTC
No, it is not an appropriate question. It is irrelevant, incapable of having a correct answer and makes us look stupid.
Flicka
2008-10-12 08:36:34 UTC
I canĀ“t believe that question, what a load of rubbish. Still nothing about the UK government surprises me.
2008-10-12 08:37:47 UTC
Unbelievable, I despair of this government.
2008-10-12 08:36:29 UTC
No - it is a stupid question. I guess they're lowering the standard so that they can let anyone in.
tanika971
2008-10-12 08:37:17 UTC
LOL, yeah that would not surprise me. what ever next lol


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