Scottish Tories urge rethink over points-based immigration

The Scottish Tory leader, Jackson Carlaw, plans to lobby Boris Johnson over complaints that Home Office plans for a points-based immigration system could damage Scotland’s economy.

In his first public statement on Priti Patel’s plans, Carlaw told reporters at Holyrood he has been pressurising the home secretary to relax many of the obstacles to low-skilled, low-waged migrants she plans to introduce.

Carlaw described Patel’s proposals as a “work in progress”, implying they broke the Scottish party’s manifesto pledges in December’s general election to introduce a system which worked for Scotland, particularly in remote areas suffering depopulation.

How it works

Bulgarian welder, holds A-level equivalent, has job offer for £26,000 a year, does not speak English.

Now: Able to work in the UK under free movement rules.
From January 2021: The worker scores points for a job offer, salary over £25,600, educational qualification, and working in a shortage occupation – meaning a score of 80 points, 10 more than the 70-point threshold. Ticks two of the three mandatory boxes for entry to the country – a job offer and job at appropriate skill level. But falling short on the third compulsory condition for entry of speaking English rules the welder out and they cannot come into the UK.

Sri Lankan production manager, has job offer for a salary of £28,000 a year, holds A-level equivalent, holds a PhD in a Stem subject, speaks English.

Now: Eligible courtesy of the requisite educational qualification of degree or over. 
From January 2021: The worker earns less than the £34,000 “going rate” for their profession, meaning that they must pick up 70 points elsewhere to be eligible. They are not in a shortage occupation and so score zero on that point – but succeed nonetheless with 20 points for a job offer, 20 points for their A-level equivalent, 10 points for English, and 20 points for a PhD in a Stem subject – a total of exactly 70.

Italian waiter has job offer in a hotel at £20,000, has languages degree and fluent in English.

Now: Able to work in the UK under free movement rules.
From January 2021: Is eligible to enter on the three mandatory conditions – job offer, speaks English and has met education threshold. Picks up 50 points. But scores zero for salary, zero for shortage occupation, does not have a PhD and cannot come into the country.

“I very much hope – and intend – that we will have a migration system in the final analysis and detail which is appropriate to Scotland,” he said.

“We made a specific promise that we need a migration system appropriate to Scotland’s needs and our demographics and economy, and Scottish Conservatives remain committed to that. It’s a work in progress, let’s see how it unfolds.”

Carlaw’s intervention follows a furious backlash from Scottish businesses to Patel’s proposals, particularly in industries like social care, tourism, fishing and farming.

They have urged the UK government to allow far greater access for lower-skilled and seasonal workers, to work in hotels, fruit farms and fish processing factories – vacancies largely filled by EU workers before Brexit.

With the increasingly vocal support of those industries, Nicola Sturgeon’s devolved government has set out detailed plans for a so-called “Scottish visa” designed to help Scottish businesses and public sector employers, and to tackle Scotland’s lower birth rate and ageing population, which puts further pressure on the economy.

Those plans were quickly rejected by the Home Office when they were published last month but Sturgeon pressed them again on Wednesday following Patel’s announcement. Carlaw said he thought some of the Scottish government’s proposals had merit, but did not elaborate.

Asked if he agreed with the Scottish visa proposal, Carlaw said: “The answer is to have a migration system which is appropriate to Scotland’s needs.

“Actually, we’re still digesting the Scottish government paper as well, which [we] believe had some quite sensible analysis of the situation and there were some sensible suggestions made in that too.”

Sturgeon’s official spokesman welcomed Scottish Tory efforts to liberalise the Home Office’s proposals, but added: “What the last day or two has shown is how utterly exposed Jackson Carlaw and the Scottish Tories are. Not only does Boris Johnson’s government treat the Scottish government with contempt, they treat their own Scottish Tory colleagues with contempt.”