The National (Scotland) - Seven Days
Politicising misery
people arriving on a big island where close to 68 million people live. About two-thirds of those claiming asylum in the UK were granted protection. At this rate, we would need small boat crossings at the current level to continue for 50 years in order for numbers to reach one million people.
IMMIGRATION is a good thing. Throughout history, the inward migration of people has been a positive benefit to those countries they call home. Today’s migrants in the main are young, fit, educated, and motivated, many with skills that would be of enormous advantage to us. Far from being a drain on our economy, they would be a positive addition to it.
We can only hope that a new government will roll back on the right-wing xenophobia which now underpins immigration policy. Certainly, that is what the SNP will be pressing it to do.
And as we promote our prospectus for an independent Scotland, we will ensure it encourages people to make our country their new home.
We live in a dangerous world.
War, famine, climate catastrophe and political repression are drivers for more people to move for a better life than ever before. And unlike a generation ago, everyone can now access crucial information on their smartphones.
If we are to create a stable and sustainable world and ensure the survival of our species, these problems will need to be tackled at source.
But in the meantime, the UK has a moral and legal responsibility to play its part in providing sanctuary and support for the most vulnerable people on Earth.
Trying to get out of that responsibility by ooading it to Rwanda is reprehensible.
We must re-establish safe and legal routes by which people can apply for asylum. We must deal with their claims eciently. This could be easily done by switching the millions spent on detaining people with pending applications to provide new trained sta to deal with their cases.
And in the meantime, let applicants work, earn, and pay tax while they are waiting.
Doing that would save money, treat people fairly and create a greater degree of social cohesion in our communities and internationally. And it certainly wouldn’t allow the Tories to scapegoat immigrants and mobilise prejudice for political advantage.