Questions about antisemitism for potential citizens: Hints provided by one nation

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Would-be Australians may have to answer questions about antisemitism to gain citizenship if the Coalition forms government in May.

The Coalition has revealed it will add new questions to the citizenship test to gauge attitudes towards Jewish people as it proposes ways to address growing security concerns.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the questions would help uphold Australian values during the citizenship process.

“I think it is time for us to assert our values and people to hear very clearly,” he told reporters.

A man wearing glasses, a blue suit and a pink tie is speaking.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the new questions would help uphold Australian values during the citizenship process. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

Opposition’s treasury spokesperson Angus Taylor explained people hoping to become Australian citizens cannot display views that may exacerbate a “completely unacceptable” rise in antisemitic attacks.

“We’ll strengthen our citizenship test to make sure there is a specific question there, criterion around antisemitism because we have seen rampant antisemitism in this country,” he told ABC radio on Wednesday morning.

“And those coming to this country, we need to be confident that they’re not going to … perpetuate that unacceptable behaviour that we have seen in recent times.”

An additional question could ask whether it’s acceptable to show disrespect towards people of Jewish faith, according to reports by Nine newspapers.

SBS News has contacted the office of Opposition immigration spokesperson Dan Tehan to confirm how the test would be amended and whether a question has been drafted.

Given sparse details around the plan, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dismissed the suggestion as no more than a “thought bubble”.

“We’ll see if it lasts until, you know, a couple of hours away, yesterday’s didn’t make it to lunchtime,” he said.

The citizenship proposal comes a day after Dutton floated pursuing citizenship-stripping powers to be used on dual nationals if they have committed a serious crime.

The Coalition appeared divided on the issue, with Senator Michaelia Cash saying while “all options were on the table”, there was “no plan” to hold the required referendum to grant the powers.

Germany gauges antisemitic attitudes in citizenship test

The plan follows similar changes to Germany’s citizenship test in 2024 amid a rise in antisemitic attacks.

Germany now requires potential citizens to answer a variety of additional questions about antisemitism, the state of Israel and events of the Holocaust.

This includes asking applicants to identify examples of antisemitic behaviour from a list of multiple-choice answers.

Credit: SBS News

German politician Nancy Faeser said the country would have “no tolerance” for antisemitism, racism or other forms of contempt as it legislated the changes.

Support for citizenship test to ‘cover racism in all its forms’

Dr Hass Dellal, executive director of the Australian Multicultural Foundation, welcomes a change but said the question should cover all forms of racism.

He said hate, based in any form, “is unacceptable in a multicultural Australia”.

“The citizenship test is designed to assess a range of areas including an understanding of Australia, responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, and an understanding and commitment to Australia first and foremost and to its values based on freedom, respect and equality,” Dellal said in a statement to SBS News.

“Within this context, the Citizenship Test should cover racism in all its forms but not single out one as it can have unintended consequences, for example, implying that one form of vilification is more important than another.”

Dellal was on the panel of last year’s Multicultural Framework review, examining changes to laws and policies that would strengthen multiculturalism.

Among the 29 recommendations was an immediate review of Australian citizenship test procedures, including considering providing the test in languages other than English and more accessible formats.

It advised that the test in its current format “discourages potential applicants and lays the basis for a less welcoming environment for newcomers”.

In its response, the government committed to being guided by the framework principles to “ensure Australia’s multicultural settings are fit-for-purpose to harness the talents of all Australians”.

In 2020, the Morrison government amended Australia’s citizenship test for the first time in a decade.

It added five multiple-choice questions quizzing applicants on “Australian values”, including mutual respect, equality and democracy.

While there were no changes to English language or residency requirements, the government also focused on increasing English language proficiency through free lessons.