Immigration is not a “fix-all” and politicians should also focus on retaining and improving the skills of the existing population when developing immigration policy, according to a new report.
Heather McCauley, a former government adviser, examined the experiences of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US to find what Scotland can learn on immigration.
The report, produced by think tank Reform Scotland in partnership with Scottish Policy Foundation, states if migration levels are maintained Scotland’s working-age population is expected to stay relatively stable for the next 25 years, but if migration stops it would fall by 12 per cent.
McCauley also addressed the Scottish government’s Scottish visa proposal — rejected by the UK government — which would differ from the UK-wide system by not including an employer sponsorship requirement or a salary threshold.
She said this could be “risky” for Scotland unless it could confidently identify other criteria which predicted successful settlement, as the “international experience is clear about the importance of employment for successful outcomes”.
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The report states: “Irrespective of Scotland’s constitutional future, its demographics mean that it needs to enter a serious debate about how it responds to projected population decline.
“It is easy, in this debate, to look at immigration as a fix-all, but the experience of other small migrant-receiving countries shows that while immigration can be beneficial overall, it is important for policy makers to be realistic about how much it can contribute to improved outcomes.”