Scotland needs more people like the Felbers
I WAS absolutely delighted to hear that Ellen and Russell Felber have finally won the right to remain in Scotland.
The ruling came after a lengthy court battle with the UK Government, who were trying to chuck them out of the country.
My SNP colleague Drew Hendry MP led a campaign on behalf of the couple, who moved from the States to the UK in 2011 and invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in their bed and breakfast guest house in Inverness.
The UK Government’s appalling treatment of the Felber family is yet another example of the damage being done by the Tories’ hostile immigration policies.
Ellen and Russell have built a life in Inverness and have made a valued and valuable contribution to their local community. But in the eyes of the Tories, that counted for nothing. Since 2016, they have been in a legal battle with the Home Office to stay in the country.
The UK Government’s narrowminded approach to immigration isn’t just bad for families, it is also harming Scotland’s economy and public services by deterring the people we need to attract to live, work and study here.
It is clear that the Westminster Government are incapable of acting in Scotland’s interests. That’s why we need to see immigration powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament, so we can build a system that meets Scotland’s needs and values and makes the most of the huge benefits that immigration brings.