Tory plans to curb migration will be “disastrous” for businesses and public services in the Western Isles, according to an Isles MSP.
The Conservative UK Government announced stricter regulations on people from outside the UK coming to work in Scotland – including a minimum salary requirement of £38,700, and a ban on care workers bringing family to the country.
The Home Office said the package of measures “will end the high numbers of dependants coming to the UK, increase the minimum salaries that overseas workers and British or settled people sponsoring family members must earn and tackle exploitation across the immigration system”.
“Together, this package will mean around 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would now not be able to come. The government will tighten the health and care visa, which has seen a significant number of visas granted to care workers and their dependants, by preventing overseas care workers from bringing their dependants to the UK.
“In the year ending September 2023, 101,000 health and care visas were issued to care workers and senior care workers, with an estimated 120,000 visas granted to associated dependants, the majority of whom we estimate don’t work, but still make use of public services.
“From next spring, the government will increase the earning threshold for overseas workers by nearly 50 per cent from its current position of £26,200 to £38,700, encouraging businesses to look to British talent first and invest in their workforce, helping us to deter employers from over-relying on migration, whilst bringing salaries in line with the average full-time salary for these types of jobs.
“The government will also increase the minimum income required for British citizens and those settled in the UK who want their family members to join them. Altogether this reinforces that everyone who wants to work and live here must be able to support themselves, are contributing to the economy and are not burdening the state.”
SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar Alasdair Allan said these new measures are a stark contrast to the SNP Scottish Government’s “vision for an inclusive and fair migration policy; one that understands the importance of migration in safeguarding the future of Scotland’s public services, strengthening our economy and enriching our culture”.
Dr Allan said: “Scotland has an aging population, something which is more acutely felt already in the Western Isles. Our essential public services and local businesses rely on sustaining a strong, skilled workforce.
“Brexit had a devastating impact on the ability of our European neighbours to move to and contribute to our communities. We need to be encouraging more people to move to Scotland, not putting up barriers in their way.
“Despite the Scottish Government’s work on a rural visa pilot scheme, the UK Government will not engage with the needs of areas like the Western Isles. It seems the Tories are determined to push down immigration figures at all costs, even at the expense of our rural and island communities’ futures.
“These newly announced measures from the Tory government demonstrate its complete ignorance of the needs of communities like the Western Isles and, of course, the hugely valuable contribution of migrants to our society.”