SNP MSP Christina McKelvie has voiced concerns that the new tighter immigration rules announced by Gordon Brown could have a detrimental effect on Scotland because they do not take into account the unique demographic challenges facing the country.
The Prime Minister indicated in a speech today that he intends to drastically reduce the range of professions for which migrants from outside the EU will be allowed to work. Sectors such as engineering and care work could be affected.
The Scottish Government has long made the case for Scottish-specific flexibilities within the immigration system to allow for effective responses to the challenges caused by our ageing population and increasing dependency ratio, a position reiterated this week by External Affairs Minister Michael Russell during a meeting with the UK Immigration Minister, Phil Woolas
Ms McKelvie commented:
“Once again, we have another change in immigration and asylum law announced from London with no consideration for Scottish needs.
“As Michael Russell made clear just this week, Scotland should have the flexibility to attract people of working age to help fill our skills gap and contribute to growing Scotland’s economy.
“The plans announced by the Prime Minister today have the potential to ride roughshod over the unique needs of Scotland’s population and economy. I’m particularly concerned about the impact they could have on the care sector, where our workforce requirements will continue to grow as our population ages.
“This is just the most recent example of Scotland apparently not figuring at all in the UK Government’s thinking about immigration and asylum.
“It comes hot on the heels of a nonsensical rule change which forces newly arrived asylum seekers in Scotland to travel 400 miles to Croydon before they can lodge their asylum claims and evidence that the UK Government is still locking up dozens of innocent children in Dungavel, actively undermining the Scottish Government’s attempts to find alternatives to detention.
“The case for control of immigration and asylum policy being handed to the Scottish Government is now unanswerable. Gordon Brown should do the right thing before Labour at Westminster does any more damage to Scotland’s interests in this regard.”
A transcript of the Prime Minister’s immigration speech can be found at:
http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page21296
Michael Russell’s comments following his meeting with UK Immigration Minister Phil Woolas can be read at: