By IANS,
London : Britain plans to educate immigrants on the art of queuing properly to help them integrate into the society, a media report said Monday.
Foreigners applying to settle in the country will have to learn about the revered British practice of forming a queue for everything from buses to sandwiches, Daily Mirror reported on its web site.
The “art of queuing” may also be included in the test on aspects of the British way of life required for foreign nationals applying for citizenship, the report said.
Immigration minister Phil Woolas said much tension in communities is caused by foreigners not understanding that they must wait in line for services rather than heading to the front as may be the custom in their own culture.
“Huge resentment is caused when people push in. The simple act of taking one’s turn is one of the things that holds our country together. It is very important that newcomers take their place in queues whether it is for a bus or a cup of tea,” the report quoted Woolas as saying.
The minister said he was pushing the idea as part of moves to ensure immigrants integrate properly.
“It is central to the British sense of fair play and it is also better for everyone,” he said.