Immigration has enhanced our country
New Scots are a welcome force for good, say the Scottish Greens as the UK Government’s latest immigration statistics are published.
The party has condemned the “craven cruelty” and “self sabotage” that has seen both the Conservatives and Labour locked in a “shameful and racist race to the bottom” at Westminster to see who can be most hostile to migrant communities.
The party’s external affairs spokesperson, Ross Greer MSP said:
“Immigration has hugely enhanced our country and our communities.
“The craven cruelty and hostility that we have seen from the Home Office is a needless and destructive act of national self-sabotage.
“Immigration debates in Westminster are dominated by a shameful and racist race to the bottom, with the Tories and Labour competing to see who can be the most hostile and can put up the most arbitrary restrictions and barriers to the people our country really needs.
“Free movement in Europe was one of the greatest political achievements of our age and, predictably, since it was removed we have seen even more people’s lives being turned upside down and huge pressures being put on public services and private businesses who can’t recruit the workers they need.
“We need to see a complete change away from Westminster’s reactionary and utterly self-defeating approach to migration.
“There are huge and clear social benefits to immigration, and there are economic ones too, not least in rural communities across Scotland who desperately need to boost their working age populations.
“The Scottish Greens could not be clearer, immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees are welcome here.”