Parliament's human rights committee has raised the red flag over proposed tougher English language requirements for aspiring Australian citizens.
The committee, chaired by Liberal MP Ian Goodenough, believes the measure is likely to be "incompatible with the right to equality and non-discrimination" - even after seeking further advice from Immigration Minister Peter Dutton.
In a report tabled on Tuesday, it remained concerned the move wasn't "rationally connected" to the federal government's stated objective of promoting social cohesion and encouraging new citizens to fully participate in Australian life.
The committee says Mr Dutton has not clearly articulated exactly how barring people who don't possess 'competent English' from citizenship will advance their social inclusion.
Nor has he addressed the issue that excluding permanent residents who don't meet the standard from voting or serving on a jury, for example, could be adverse to social cohesion.
"Beyond describing what this level of English entails, no specific information is provided as to why this is considered to be necessary to successfully integrate into the Australian community," the report said.
The committee also raised concerns about the differential treatment of UK, Canadian, Irish, American or New Zealand passport holders, who won't be required to undertake language testing.
It's not apparent that passport holders from these countries automatically assumed to have 'competent English'.
"This is a further reason why the measure does not appear to be a proportionate limitation on human rights," the report said.
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