Suella Braverman has said some immigrants are “not embracing British values” and are living “parallel lives” to the rest of the country.
The UK home secretary, who has attracted criticism for suggesting multiculturalism has “failed”, said she would be “fearless” in identifying problems with integration.
She said there are “many towns and cities” where people from abroad are not learning English and “not taking part in British life”.
In a speech in the US last week, she attacked the “misguided dogma” of multiculturalism, saying it had “failed”.
Rishi Sunak declined to back her comments and former UK home secretary Dame Priti Patel suggested she may have said them simply to attract attention.
But on a visit to Bolton, Ms Braverman said: “It’s my job, first and foremost, to be honest and speak for the majority of the British people.
“And my comments have been somewhat mischaracterised.
“We have so much to be proud of. We have a great multi-ethnic society and in many parts of our country integration has worked.
“But there are also many towns and cities around the United Kingdom where it hasn’t and communities are living parallel lives.
“They are coming from abroad, they are not learning the language. They’re not embracing British values, and they’re not taking part in British life.
“And that needs to be identified, we must be fearless in calling that out and that’s my job.”
