"Refugee and Asylum policy in an independent Scotland would be rooted in human rights, equality principles and the rule of law."

Scotland is a country which has been shaped by migration throughout its history. For centuries Scots have left these shores, integrating into communities around the world with some estimates suggesting that around 40 million people globally consider themselves to have Scottish ancestry.

In recent years these trends have shifted as Scotland has moved from being a net exporter of people, to a country whose population is growing, partly due to migration. This in turn helps us create a country with a strong international outlook and a culturally richer, more diverse society.

The future of this rich diversity is now however at risk, due to growing hostility toward migration from successive Westminster Governments. While Theresa May is reviled by many as the architect of the hostile environment, the phrase itself was coined back in 1997 by New Labour’s immigration Minister Liam Byrne who spoke of ‘flushing illegal migrants out’ and creating “a much more hostile environment in this country.”

Since then, whether it has been David Cameron’s promise to reduce migration to the “tens of thousands”, Labour’s infamous ‘Controls on immigration’ mugs, or the extreme rhetoric of Priti Patel and Suella Braverman, Westminster hostility to migration only seems to be growing stronger.

I have watched this unfold from the benches of the House of Commons and the one thing that has struck me is that each time I think Westminster has hit a new low on migration, it manages to come up with something even worse.

First, the years of anti-migration rhetoric during the Brexit process, leading to the ending of free movement and barriers thrown in the path of EU nationals who wished to come and work across these isles.

After that, Priti Patel and her Nationality and Borders Bill, which at the time was one of the most appalling pieces of legislation I had ever opposed.

Then along came the Illegal Migration Act, which enabled the Rwanda scheme. And when that was blocked in the courts, the Tories responded with the Safety of Rwanda Bill to try and sidestep the court’s ruling.

My SNP colleagues and I fought tooth and nail against these damaging plans at Westminster during many gruelling hours of debates and committees. But ultimately the Tories were able to use their majority in the Commons to force their plans through, aided I must say by some very lukewarm opposition from Labour.

There were times when I genuinely wondered how bothered Labour really were by these laws passing, such is their fear of Nigel Farage and their desire to reclaim the much vaunted ‘red wall.’ It has been striking that when Sir Keir Starmer has been pushed to say if Labour would even repeal these damaging laws in power, he has refused to confirm that he would. And now Labour’s only main policy pledge during the election campaign has once again targeted migrants, with a promise to cut net migration, although as usual Sir Keir refuses to provide any detail on what that would mean in practice.

Powers over immigration are reserved to Westminster which means this has a direct and negative impact on Scotland, which has its own distinct demographic challenges which migration plays a strong part in addressing. Despite the growth of recent years, the population of Scotland is again projected to begin to fall within the next decade.

We need solutions for this and for broader demographic change because Scotland’s population, like that of many other developed countries, is ageing. Scotland is the only UK nation where the overall population and the working age population are projected to decline, meaning Westminster migration policy is damaging Scotland’s businesses and our wider economy. Evidence since Brexit and the pandemic has shown that some sectors, particularly our hospitality and food and drink industries, are experiencing worker shortages and are struggling to fill vacancies.

All of this puts Scotland at a distinct disadvantage as we work together to recover from the economic damage and the cost-of-living crisis that has hammered the UK in recent years. Our society and our economy simply cannot afford any more of this.

If I am fortunate enough to be re-elected, I fully intend to get straight back to work with my SNP colleagues to highlight these issues and call on UK Ministers to give the Scottish Parliament the powers it needs to address these challenges.

However, the long-term answer here is for Scotland to take control of its own migration policy with the full powers of independence. The SNP Scottish Government published a paper on migration last year which set out what this would look like.

An independent Scotland would offer a range of visa routes supporting people to live, work or study in Scotland, or visit or invest here.

Scotland’s system would remove the complexity and the exorbitant costs which the Home Office imposes on people applying.

The SNP would also remove the minimum income requirement for family migration, introduced as part of the ‘hostile environment’ approach, which would make it easier for families to choose Scotland as a place to live, while also supporting family reunification.

Refugee and Asylum policy in an independent Scotland would be rooted in human rights, equality principles and the rule of law.

And crucially, an independent Scotland would seek to re-join the European Union, ensuring that free movement of would resume as a reciprocal right for Scottish citizens to live and work across the EU and for EU citizens to live and work in Scotland.

These proposals would create a migration and asylum system with fairness and compassion at its centre, while helping grow our economy, addressing the skills shortages affecting our key sectors and making an essential contribution to Scotland’s population growth.

This would help ensure Scotland makes a strong recovery from years of Westminster economic mismanagement, while sending a message to the world that those who wish to make Scotland their home and to live and work here, will be warmly welcomed.

Chris Stephens was elected as the SNP MP for Glasgow South West in 2015. Since 2023, he has been the SNP’s Justice and Immigration Spokesperson in the House of Commons

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