Did you know that every month, British citizenship ceremonies are held at venues across East Sussex? I certainly didn’t, until I was invited to attend one.
Five years after coming to the UK, you can apply for British citizenship and be eligible for a British passport, now very definitely coloured blue. Last Wednesday, May 24, one such ceremony was held at Hastings Town Hall. Twenty-one people, who had gone through all the processes (I counted 21 different forms to choose from just to start the application on the gov.uk website) and considerable costs of becoming British citizens, had come to make their oath of allegiance, or affirmation, if the individual preferred not to swear by God, and a pledge, to give loyalty to the UK and respect its rights and freedoms. Each person was required to stand and read the words to the audience. If successful in their original application, each person had to attend such a ceremony within eleven weeks of receiving an invitation from the Home Office and receive an official certificate.
I was fortunate enough to be invited by my daughter-in-law, Hayley, a New Zealand national, to come as one of her two guests (the other being her husband). Not having the slightest idea what to expect, I duly found my way to the correct part of the town hall, the register office, to find myself and my family in a very grand Victorian building. As I climbed the imposing flight of stairs to the first floor, we were ushered into an enormous, beautifully kept space and who should I see but Ryer Chris Emson, leading the Mother’s Union in providing the refreshments! We were to see more of Chris at the end of the ceremony.
The ceremony was very competently led by the registrar, Ms Pankhurst and two assistants, in the presence of the lord lieutenant of East Sussex, Mr Andrew Blackman DL, who was there representing the sovereign and was accompanied by his deputy, Mr Christopher Wittick DL. The lord lieutenant was there to speak on behalf of the local community and to present the certificates to each person.
The registrar emphasised the way that the talents, backgrounds and experiences of the new citizens helped the UK. She spoke of the opportunities to take full part in the life of the country, not forgetting that some people had been here for many years and congratulated all of them on becoming citizens of the UK. Afterwards, she told me that many of the participants had had a long wait for their citizenship, perhaps because of gaps in their records of five years living in the UK. Ten years was about the longest of which she was aware.
I don’t think I have recently attended a more uplifting and happier event. Covid seems to have taken the stuffing out of a lot of us, but this was just such a positive atmosphere. No one in the room was other than delighted to be there – participants, friends and family. The lord lieutenant and the three registrars took a lot of time talking to everyone as we all gathered around the refreshment table eating homemade cake and chatting to Chris and her two helpers.
My daughter-in-law said it was a surprisingly moving moment and a realisation of a change in status, which I think she hadn’t expected. She has lived here for many years, has a four-year-old son, and had got accustomed, as the saying goes.
After the certificate presentations, there was opportunity for people to mix and chat and Hayley met another person there, who heard her explaining her business developments and offered to help, as it turned out they were in the same field. Such are the coincidences of life.
I tried to find out where people came from, and managed to trace New Zealand (obviously), Iran, South Africa, Pakistan and Israel as starters. Their reasons for wanting to gain citizenship were many and varied, from marrying a British spouse, to needing a British passport to set up a business, to joining a husband and grandchildren already here.
I can only finish by congratulating each and every participant on their myriad journeys to reach British citizenship. I was honoured to have been there to enjoy it all with them.
Image Credits: Gillian Roder .