Meeting of the Parliament 10 September 2025
This is a debate that some members in the Parliament do not want us to have. It is one that is politically heated, and in which those on the liberal left want to mischaracterise the views of others. It is a potentially uncomfortable debate for those in government and those who have recently been in government. It is a debate in which our language needs to be carefully chosen; I recognise and respect that fact.
However, it is a debate that we can no longer afford not to have, because today there are more than 6,000 asylum seekers in Scotland. Glasgow is housing more asylum seekers than any other council in the United Kingdom—a staggering 3,844 as of the end of June; that is 40 per cent more than Birmingham. To be blunt but honest with the communities that we represent and serve, that cannot continue.
The economic costs are considerable. It costs £250 million a year to house asylum seekers in Scotland—£41,000 to house and support each and every one. Ignoring the problem will not make it go away. The protests that Mr Swinney condemned are not what any of us would like to see on Scotland’s streets, but they are the product of politicians’ failure to address legitimate community concerns.