Hansard

I am pleased to open this important debate on migration. Parliament has debated migration previously, and although there have been disagreements, we have also been able to come together to recognise the benefits of migration to our economy, our public services and our communities.

Historically, Scotland was a nation of emigration, with people leaving to build a future elsewhere. Since 2001, Scotland has been a nation of net in-migration. We should celebrate the fact that Scotland is now a country that attracts people—people who want to come here to build their future and to make a positive contribution to this nation by working in our public services, helping to build our economy and becoming valued members of our communities.

People choose to come to Scotland from across the world and from across the United Kingdom. The latest data shows that 13,900 more people chose to come to Scotland from the rest of the UK than chose to leave Scotland.

Like many nations across the world, Scotland’s population is ageing. National Records of Scotland data shows that just over 20 per cent of the population is aged 65 and over. Over the past two decades, the number of people aged 65 and above has grown by 36 per cent, while the number of those under 16 has fallen by 5 per cent. The number of people aged 65 and over is projected to grow by nearly a third by mid-2045, while the number of children is projected to fall by nearly a fifth.

Our population is growing, but it is growing solely as a result of migration. Jon Wroth-Smith, director of census statistics at the National Records of Scotland, has stated:

“Without migration Scotland’s population would have decreased, and we would have fewer people in younger age groups.”

It is clear that we need to continue to attract people to Scotland to grow our economy and sustain our public services. Therefore, the Government will help employers to navigate the UK immigration system, enabling them to bring in the skilled workers that they need to grow our economy; argue for change to ensure that the immigration system is fit for purpose; and make the case for tailored migration routes to reflect the needs of Scotland’s economy, public services and communities.

Our first priority is to ensure that employers and individuals are able to recruit the skilled international workers that they need to grow their businesses. In November, the Minister for Equalities visited a technology business, iGii in Stirling, to launch the expanded Scotland’s Migration Service. The service is being provided by the Scottish Government through a partnership with Citizens Advice Scotland and Seraphus, an immigration law firm that is providing free advice to help Scottish employers and inward investors to navigate the UK immigration system. Through the partnership with Citizens Advice Scotland, Scotland’s Migration Service is supporting international students, people who have recently moved to Scotland and prospective movers who have a confirmed job offer or are moving to join a close family member.

The Government is investing in support for employers to help them to navigate the existing system, but we are also hearing the very clear message that the current immigration system is not fit for purpose. It is expensive, it is bureaucratic and difficult to navigate, and it is too focused on salary thresholds rather than on the skills and expertise that our economy needs. It is deeply regrettable that, for too long, too much of the discourse on migration has focused entirely on reducing numbers rather than on having an honest public discussion about the needs of our economy, our public services and our communities. We need an immigration system that meets Scotland’s needs.

Our second priority, therefore, is to engage with employers, stakeholders, local authorities and partners to identify the changes that are needed to the UK immigration system and to make the case for those changes to the UK Government. In March, the previous UK Government changed the immigration system to prevent overseas care workers from bringing dependants to the UK. Home Office data shows that, over the six months since that change—from April to November—there was an 84 per cent fall from the number of health and care visas issued in the previous year.

Last year, the previous UK Government also introduced changes to the study route that meant that most international students are unable to bring dependants with them to the UK. Those changes, together with the significant increase in the salary threshold for the skilled worker visa, make it much harder for our universities to attract international students and for the Scottish economy to retain skilled international students.

We cannot view migration in isolation, focusing on whether numbers go up or down. It needs to be one strand in a wider strategy that brings together the needs of our economy, our public services, training and skills.

It is welcome that the UK Government has set out its intention to bring together migration, skills and industrial strategy. The Scottish Government will engage constructively in that process. However, we need to ensure that the process considers the needs of different communities. The current immigration system recognises that we need migration solutions that are tailored to the needs of different sectors, but we also need to recognise that there may be cases in which we need different routes based on geography.

Let us be clear that establishing different migration routes based on the needs of geography is not a novel concept. The current UK immigration system is already comprised of a series of different—or tailored—visa routes. The establishment of the Scottish Parliament was designed to allow distinct solutions to be developed to respond to distinct challenges, and one of the first distinct solutions that the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament developed was a tailored migration route for Scotland. The fresh talent working in Scotland scheme was launched in June 2005 as part of the wider fresh talent initiative, which aimed to encourage people to settle in Scotland. It was a tailored visa route for international students attending Scottish universities that enabled them to stay in Scotland for up to two years after completion of their studies.

In 2005, the UK Government of the day recognised that Scotland had distinct demographic needs and supported the establishment of a tailored migration route to address those needs. Our ambition is for the current UK Government to work with us once again to deliver a tailored approach to migration that meets the needs of Scotland.