Meeting of the Parliament 12 June 2025
I begin by making it clear that migrants and migration have had a positive impact on Scotland. In my life and career, I have known many people who decided to build their lives in this country and now call it home. I have met and worked with organisations such as Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council—I draw attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests, as I chair that organisation—as well as Networking Key Services and Milan Senior Welfare Organisation here in Edinburgh, which support new Scots to integrate in and partake of their communities.
My family is a migrant family. We moved to the United Kingdom when I was very young. People who settle here work in our NHS and our universities and run businesses. Anyone who tries to claim that those with international heritage do not contribute or do not prioritise Scotland should be rejected. They do not represent my experience, and I know that they do not represent the views of Scots.
With all that in mind, it is important that our immigration system works for both Scotland and migrants. The previous Conservative Government took an approach that worked for neither. The health and care worker visa was a blunt instrument that put people at risk of exploitation and abuse, with harrowing reports of workers being placed into debt bondage and of others paying thousands to work at non-existent care homes. The UK Government’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner has said that that caused avoidable harm and severe exploitation. Migration should never be about the right to exploit vulnerable people. We need a sustainable system that prevents that from happening.
I welcome the progress that is being made on a youth experience scheme as part of the reset with the European Union, as well as the return to Erasmus+. We know how important Erasmus+ is in promoting cultural exchange. A youth experience scheme would add to that while providing our economy with greater flexibility. I hope that the UK Government will also ensure that working class and underrepresented groups can access those schemes, so that their benefit is shared across society.
It should be said that migration is not a sticking plaster solution. It alone will not resolve many of the challenges that we face. It will not end the housing emergency, fix our broken planning system, or stop the rise in violent crime. Migration will be necessary for our future in many areas, but it is a tool and we must use it correctly—not as a replacement for a skills strategy, or to contribute to exploitation, but for growing our economy and attracting highly talented people.
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