Some three-quarters-of-a-million migrants struggle to speak a word of English and are taking no steps to learn, shocking new figures have revealed. Despite ministers in successive Government pledging strict language tests as part of the immigration system, around 700,000 foreigners living here would fail to hold a cursory conversation. The startling total was exposed in a think-tank report which said learning the English language was ‘vitally important to the integration of migrants who wished to build a successful future in the UK’. Academics said migrants who were ‘non-proficient’ in English were being ‘left voiceless’. Critics said the findings risked making a mockery of repeated Government promises that any foreigner wanting to live here must be able to speak the language. The report follows a recent survey by the Office for National Statistics which revealed more than half of migrants who have failed to learn English do not have jobs – so are more likely to rely on benefits. Scroll down for video . The report said there was a 'widening gap' between the 850,000 migrants who said they could not speak English at the last census, and the 150,000 currently enrolled in classes to learn . This group were significantly less likely to be in employment than people who speak English as their first language - and the 2.9million migrants who have learnt it. The new statistics were revealed by Demos, a left-leaning think-tank, in a study published today. The report said there was a ‘widening gap’ between the 850,000 migrants who at the last census in 2011 said they could not speak English well or at all and the 150,000 currently registered in classes to learn – known as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Of those who struggled to speak English, 37 per cent were from south Asia, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, and 17 per cent were from Poland. Demos said the ESOL system was ‘under strain’ because the number of working-age foreigners aged 16 to 64 who lived in Britain had risen from 3million in 1993 to 6million in 2012 – fuelled by Labour’s flawed policy of opening the country’ s doors to mass immigration. But it criticised the Coalition for reducing funding for ESOL classes by 40 per cent – from £212million in 2008-09 to £128million in 2012-13. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills funds ESOL classes at further education colleges, community colleges or through independent organisations. Ally Paget, the author of the report, said: ‘It is essential that we get as many newcomers as possible using English with confidence. This will unlock migrants' potential and benefit the whole country. ‘Unfortunately, our current ESOL system is not up to the task. Current policy suffers from fragmentation, lack of clarity about the aims and intended outcomes of learning, and the tendency to take a short-term view.’ Introduce a ‘national strategy’ on teaching English to migrants would ‘make it easier for migrants to access public services and interact in the community’, said Demos. The report into the number of people who cannot speak English comes after the Home Office was rocked by two immigration scandals. In May, the Mail revealed migrants who cannot speak English were able to buy a certificate saying they had passed a language test. The document opened the door to British citizenship, allowing them access to a full range of benefits. Scandal: Migrants who spoke no English were able to pay £500 for a certificate saying they passed . Our investigation exposed Learn Pass Succeed, which ran the scam at exam centres licensed by the Home Office. During our undercover probe, the Mail paid £500 for a pass certificate in the English language exam for a fake candidate despite him never sitting the test or taking a course. And a month later red-faced ministers admitted the staggering scale of abuse of the student visa system by immigrants desperate to stay in Britain. Tens of thousands of bogus students faked English language tests to beat UK border controls, the Government admitted. An estimated 48,000 immigrants had exploited the lax system in a 'shocking' scam run by criminal gangs, said Immigration Minister James Brokenshire. He revealed there had been 'systematic cheating' that allowed foreigners who could barely speak a word of English to stay in the country illegally, with corrupt invigilators reading out answers or allowing gangs of imposters to sit tests so the candidates could be awarded an English language certificate. In December last year, Iain Duncan Smith announced all migrants would have to demonstrate a ‘reasonable standard of English’ or be barred from claiming benefits. The Work and Pensions Secretary said tests applied to those who end up claiming any work-related welfare payments would be tightened. For the first time, migrants are to be quizzed about their language skills to determine whether these are likely to prove a barrier to them finding jobs. A Government spokesman said: ‘Funding for English language training is targeted at people whose lack of English is preventing them from finding work or isolating them from their community. ‘We have toughened up English language requirements for residency and citizenship but we do not subsidise learning for people seeking to meet these. ‘It is right that employers and individuals in work contribute towards the cost of their English language learning and so we do not fund workplace training.
Three-quarters-of-a-million migrants struggle to speak a word of English .
About 700,000 foreigners living here would fail to hold cursory conversation .
Academics said those who aren't proficient in English are left 'voiceless'
Some three-quarters-of-a-million migrants struggle to speak a word of English and are taking no steps to learn, shocking new figures have revealed. Despite ministers in successive Government pledging strict language tests as part of the immigration system, around 700,000 foreigners living here would fail to hold a cursory conversation. The startling total was exposed in a think-tank report which said learning the English language was ‘vitally important to the integration of migrants who wished to build a successful future in the UK’. Academics said migrants who were ‘non-proficient’ in English were being ‘left voiceless’. Critics said the findings risked making a mockery of repeated Government promises that any foreigner wanting to live here must be able to speak the language. The report follows a recent survey by the Office for National Statistics which revealed more than half of migrants who have failed to learn English do not have jobs – so are more likely to rely on benefits. Scroll down for video . The report said there was a 'widening gap' between the 850,000 migrants who said they could not speak English at the last census, and the 150,000 currently enrolled in classes to learn . This group were significantly less likely to be in employment than people who speak English as their first language - and the 2.9million migrants who have learnt it. The new statistics were revealed by Demos, a left-leaning think-tank, in a study published today. The report said there was a ‘widening gap’ between the 850,000 migrants who at the last census in 2011 said they could not speak English well or at all and the 150,000 currently registered in classes to learn – known as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Of those who struggled to speak English, 37 per cent were from south Asia, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, and 17 per cent were from Poland. Demos said the ESOL system was ‘under strain’ because the number of working-age foreigners aged 16 to 64 who lived in Britain had risen from 3million in 1993 to 6million in 2012 – fuelled by Labour’s flawed policy of opening the country’ s doors to mass immigration. But it criticised the Coalition for reducing funding for ESOL classes by 40 per cent – from £212million in 2008-09 to £128million in 2012-13. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills funds ESOL classes at further education colleges, community colleges or through independent organisations. Ally Paget, the author of the report, said: ‘It is essential that we get as many newcomers as possible using English with confidence. This will unlock migrants' potential and benefit the whole country. ‘Unfortunately, our current ESOL system is not up to the task. Current policy suffers from fragmentation, lack of clarity about the aims and intended outcomes of learning, and the tendency to take a short-term view.’ Introduce a ‘national strategy’ on teaching English to migrants would ‘make it easier for migrants to access public services and interact in the community’, said Demos. The report into the number of people who cannot speak English comes after the Home Office was rocked by two immigration scandals. In May, the Mail revealed migrants who cannot speak English were able to buy a certificate saying they had passed a language test. The document opened the door to British citizenship, allowing them access to a full range of benefits. Scandal: Migrants who spoke no English were able to pay £500 for a certificate saying they passed . Our investigation exposed Learn Pass Succeed, which ran the scam at exam centres licensed by the Home Office. During our undercover probe, the Mail paid £500 for a pass certificate in the English language exam for a fake candidate despite him never sitting the test or taking a course. And a month later red-faced ministers admitted the staggering scale of abuse of the student visa system by immigrants desperate to stay in Britain. Tens of thousands of bogus students faked English language tests to beat UK border controls, the Government admitted. An estimated 48,000 immigrants had exploited the lax system in a 'shocking' scam run by criminal gangs, said Immigration Minister James Brokenshire. He revealed there had been 'systematic cheating' that allowed foreigners who could barely speak a word of English to stay in the country illegally, with corrupt invigilators reading out answers or allowing gangs of imposters to sit tests so the candidates could be awarded an English language certificate. In December last year, Iain Duncan Smith announced all migrants would have to demonstrate a ‘reasonable standard of English’ or be barred from claiming benefits. The Work and Pensions Secretary said tests applied to those who end up claiming any work-related welfare payments would be tightened. For the first time, migrants are to be quizzed about their language skills to determine whether these are likely to prove a barrier to them finding jobs. A Government spokesman said: ‘Funding for English language training is targeted at people whose lack of English is preventing them from finding work or isolating them from their community. ‘We have toughened up English language requirements for residency and citizenship but we do not subsidise learning for people seeking to meet these. ‘It is right that employers and individuals in work contribute towards the cost of their English language learning and so we do not fund workplace training.
Some three-quarters-of-a-million migrants struggle to speak a word of English and are taking no foreigners living here would fail to hold a Academics said migrants who were ‘non-proficient’ in English were being ‘left voiceless’. Critics