How strict are the referee requirements?

[ouflak1]

The "other nationality" has to be a part of a professional body, how many people outside the UK qualify as being part of a UK recognized professional body.

You might be surprised. I was also a member of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (long story). These are two of the largest such professional bodies in the world and their professional grade membership is instantly recognized and accepted by the UK for qualification to be a referee. There are certainly such organizations for many of the other professions in the world. It's just who you know or who you've known.

[secret.simon]

The referee requirements are not as irrational or random as the OP makes them out to be.

The referees required for the naturalisation requirements need to be
a) members of a professional body
b) A British citizen with a passport

Were it to make enquiries, the Home Office would depend on statements from these referees as to the good characters of the applicant. It needs to have trust in the veracity of their statements and, if need be, apply sanctions to them for making false or misleading statements.

However, the Home Office has no such powers over referees. They can decline the application, but it has no powers over referees. Then how can it be sure that the references given are true and correct?

Members of professional bodies are accountable to the bodies for not bringing them into disrepute. If the professional referee were to make misleading statements to the Home Office, the Home Office could take up the matter with the professional bodies, who could censor the member or withdraw their license to practice, thus jeopardizing their career. As one of the respondents above mentioned, even membership of a professional body overseas is acceptable, as they would not look kindly upon their reputation being tainted by a member and could revoke their membership.

As regards the British citizen with the passport, a passport is a document issued at the discretion of the Home Secretary. To the best of my knowledge, there is no legislation that guarantees that a British citizen has to be issued a passport. And legislation is no guarantee of getting a passport. The Canadian government can deny its citizen a passport, inspite of a constitutional right to freedom of travel. Issuance of passports is seen internationally as an act of the executive branch of government. The British citizen referee could therefore run into trouble with passport renewal or could have his passport revoked.

Granted that the Home Office rarely contacts referees and has never been known to deploy these sanctions. However, when designing the system of granting citizenship, they have built in safeguards, to be exercised in extremis. There is a method to their madness and it is not as irrational as it appears at first sight.