Immigration should be devolved to different areas, says thinktank

Devolving control over immigration to areas of the UK – including Scotland – is an “idea whose time has come”, the head of the thinktank IPPR Scotland said.

Russell Gunson called on the UK Government to “consider fundamental reform of our immigration system” as Britain prepares to exit the European Union.

A report from the independent IPPR complained that the UK’s current immigration system “lacks a strategic mission”, with policy developed as a result of “ad hoc reactions to political and operational crises”.

It called for a new immigration policy to be developed which would “reject a simplistic focus on overall numbers” and would instead link policy in the area with economic and social priorities.

The report, produced by the IPPR commission on economic justice, said: “As the Government reviews its policy over the coming 12 months in preparation for Brexit, there is a unique opportunity to put this strategy into practice and deliver an immigration system that meets, rather than hinders, our economic needs.

“A key tenet of the UK’s future immigration strategy should be to develop greater geographical flexibility within the system, in order to help address the sustained and growing economic imbalances across the UK’s nations and regions.”

The think tank accepted this would be “a major shift in immigration policy”.

Mr Gunson said: “Scotland has specific challenges that the current UK-wide immigration system is failing to address.”