30% of new Brits don’t know where Liverpool is on a map

30% of new Brits don’t know where Liverpool is on a map

The results come as the test celebrates its fifth birthday this month and the Home Secretary announced strict new controls on immigration last week.

Nearly 40% thought the Angel of the North was near Leeds, Manchester or Birmingham, and 20% thought the Shetland Islands were the Channel Islands.

Despite immigration being high on the government's agenda these results suggest that the test still leaves migrants lacking in basic knowledge about the country. With such pressure to reduce net migration the issue of integration is being ignored.

Another recent study on people taking the Life in the UK Test placed British-born people 40th globally. With the Home Office study materials becoming increasingly inaccurate, it is clear that the test is in dire need of being updated.

Suggestions from survey respondants on the failings of the test included geography of the UK, consumer protection issues, and information on how to volunteer locally.

George Sandison, Managing Editor of Red Squirrel Publishing, which carried out the test, said: "It is clear that migrants to the UK want to become integrated with British life - the Home Office needs to review its responsibility to help them achieve this goal."

Further details about the research are available on http://www.redsquirrelbooks.com/press.

Notes for editors

• Results of the geography test were taken from a sample of 59 respondants based on a survey sent to past users of www.lifeintheuk.net who have taken the Life in the UK Test. The survey, including all questions asked, can be found here
• Further information on the global survey of Life in the UK Test results can be found here - China Takes Pole Position in Brit Test
• Red Squirrel Publishing is a UK based publishing house specialising in citizenship test study guides. Its range of Life in the UK Test: Study Guides has helped hundreds of thousands of people achieve their goal of becoming British since the first edition was published in January 2006. The 2011 edition of this definitive guide is expressly designed to help people pass the Life in the UK Test

For further details please contact

George Sandison - Managing Editor
Red Squirrel Publishing
Suite 235, 77 Beak Street,
London
W1F 9DB
United Kingdom