What is the SNP’s policy on immigration?

The current Westminster one-size-fits-all approach to immigration ignores Scotland, as well as bureaucratically failing to tackle expanding back logs.

Scotland needs an immigration policy suited to our specific circumstances and needs. Scotland needs people to want to work here, in our businesses, our universities and in our public services.

Westminster immigration policies do not take into account Scotland’s unique circumstances and they are harmful to our communities and future prosperity.

Everyone in Scotland will know someone who is an immigrant – we’re not strangers to it having lost so many people to countries around the world.

They’re the people who are our friends and neighbours, or even family members, Many work alongside us in our health service, look after our relatives in care homes, pick our crops and keep our farms profitable, or staff our hospitality sector at the height of the season.

Unlike the leading Westminster parties we’re not going to cave into the agenda of billionaire press owners wanting to distract people with lurid headlines.

With independence, and full power over migration policy, we can build an asylum and immigration systems geared to meet Scotland’s needs and founded on fairness and human rights.

Until then, we will continue to call on the Westminster government to introduce a fair and humane asylum and refugee system where people have the right to work and to contribute to society, and to lift the harmful restrictions caused by No Recourse to Public Funds.

The Westminster government should also review family migration, looking at the definition of family members, costs, and children born here.