Distinct Immigration Policy for Scotland — 11 Feb 2020 at 18:49

The majority of MPs voted against a distinct immigration policy for Scotland.

The motion rejected by a majority of MPs in this vote was:

• That this House
• condemns the UK Government’s response to the Scottish Government’s publication of 27 January 2020, Migration: Helping Scotland Prosper, setting out proposals for a Scottish visa scheme within a UK-wide system;
• welcomes support for the Scottish Government’s proposals from the business and rural communities in Scotland as well as the Scottish Trades Union Congress, Federation of Small Businesses Scotland and Scottish Council for Development and Industry;
• notes Scotland’s unique demographics in that all population growth for the next 25 years is projected to come from migration;
• recalls comments from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in June 2016 that Scotland would decide immigration numbers if the UK were to exit the EU; and
• calls on the Home Secretary to engage positively with the Scottish Government in relation to these proposals before introducing the Immigration Bill and to devolve powers to the Scottish Parliament to enable a tailored migration policy for Scotland.

The Migration: Helping Scotland Prosper report^[1] states:

• The Scottish Government believes that migration strengthens society... Scotland also needs a different approach to migration policy. With more deaths than births projected each year going forward until at least 2043, all of Scotland’s population growth will come from migration
• [1] Migration: helping Scotland prosper, Next Steps, Scottish Government Report, 27 January 2020

Debate in Parliament |