Most of these women were never in the UK long enough to get UK citizenship.

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But former Labour minister Frank Field, co-chairman of the cross-party balanced migration group, said Mr Cameron was on the "right course" in requiring all those wishing to settle in the UK to speak basic English and making it "much tougher" for those working in the UK to eventually gain citizenship.

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Those applying for British citizenship will take exams on various aspects of the UK and its society and ultimately attend a ceremony where they will swear an oath of allegiance.

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