Scottish Labour leader says tailored policies on migration can protect Scotland against worst of Brexit excesses
A QUEBEC-CANADA DEAL on immigration would be the best way to protect Scotland from a Hard Brexit according to Scottish Labour leader, Kezia Dugdale.
Dugdale pointed to the special arrangements that both Canada and its guber-national region has where Quebec can choose migrants who would best adapt to living there.
She set out her proposals for local immigration standards in a speech yesterday (Monday 17 January) at the David Hume Institute in Edinburgh that follow indications from Theresa May that the UK could leave the Single Market. The idea is a change of policy from Labour’s stance during the Smith Commission on further devolution, and the passing of the Scotland Act 2016 when the party repeatedly opposed devolving immigration powers.
“We need to seriously consider the case for decisions about immigration being taken at a more local level, along the lines of the model that is in place in Canada.” Kezia Dugdale
Speaking on such an arrrangement, Kezia Dugdale said: “We need to seriously consider the case for decisions about immigration being taken at a more local level, along the lines of the model that is in place in Canada. This would allow different parts of the United Kingdom to have an immigration policy that meets their particular needs.
“This proposal is attractive and one that Scottish Labour will look at in more detail in the coming months, including with colleagues from Canada and Quebec, and we will also look in detail at the recommendations of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Integration.”
In Canada, the political discussion around immigration is centred on demand for numbers and skills with the government coming to an arrangement with Quebec based on a number of skills and language, mostly French, based criteria.
“This would allow different parts of the United Kingdom to have an immigration policy that meets their particular needs.” Kezia Dugdale
This month Toronto MP, Ahmed Hussen a Somali-Canadian who has been appointed Immigration minister of the Liberal government reiterated his support for taking in “not only skilled workers” but also Yazidi refugees traumatised by the war against Isis in Iraq and Syria.
Rob McNeil of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford was sceptical of such a plan to copy Canada-Quebec immigration deals. Speaking to CommonSpace he said: “Look there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to immigration. It’s a question of political decision of political will. I doubt it could work because there are a number of differences.
“The main one obviously being size. In Canada the provinces are huge and therefore it’s hard for someone let into one part of Canada to abuse such a sub-national visa. The rest of the UK and Scotland are so close it would make such an arraignment difficult.”
“I doubt it could work because there are a number of differences. The main one obviously being size.” Rob McNeil
Last week Dugdale suffered embarrassment at the hands the UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who in an interview with BBC Scotland said he didn’t think a New Act of Union was necessary nor that any special deals on immigration could be struck despite many Scottish across the political spectrum calling for it.
The Scottish Government, since the vote to leave the EU, has emphasised that Scotland should be given a special deal to stay in the Single Market even if the rest of the UK pulls out. Nicola Sturgeon herself has placed membership of the Single Market as a condition to protected for jobs and economic growth which if violated would lead to a second independence referendum.
Dugdale continued: “New governance arrangements across the UK, that give a greater role to devolved institutions, would create a new phase of devolution for our country. I believe this has to sit alongside a restatement of the partnership between Scotland and the UK in a new Act of Union, to modernise our Union for a new age.”
Picture courtesy of YouTube
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