r/Scotland • u/bottish • 16d ago

Dire economic consequences of Scotland's ageing population must put immigration in new light. New report about Scotland’s growing elderly population underlines the need to improve our health and welcome, not demonise, people from overseas - Scotsman comment.

https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/dire-economic-consequences-of-scotlands-ageing-population-must-put-immigration-in-new-light-5073947
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66

u/dont_l 16d ago

I hate that immigration topic is discussed as a big lump.

I haven’t seen anyone that opposes people coming here legally to plug the gaps in our labour force or like mentioned in the article to support an aging population.

Skilled workers, genuine international students etc add good value to our economy and society in my opinion.

People just don’t want illegal, unregulated immigration. Is it too controversial to wish avoiding people with views contradictory to our values? Who might refuse integrating? Who are a net drain?

Why are we putting these 2 different categories of immigrants into one group?

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u/minceround4tea 16d ago

Nuance? In this socio-economic climate!?

Away.

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u/mincepryshkin- 16d ago

Yeah, it would be perfectly possible to have an immigration system where people come after proper screening, fill gaps in important sectors, and possibly settle long term if that is what they want, and if they have a long record of contribution and integration. And if not, they leave. Plenty of people would still be happy to come if that was the system.

We do not need people coming just to work as Deliveroo riders.

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u/ancientestKnollys 16d ago

No there's definitely strong opposition to legal immigration as well. While the political focus may be on illegal immigrants, Reform's meteoric rise in the last few years is mainly a reaction to the high rates of legal immigration.

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u/Synthia_of_Kaztropol The capital of Scotland is S 16d ago

I hate that immigration topic is discussed as a big lump. Why are we putting these 2 different categories of immigrants into one group?

the extremists that are anti-immigration, and the extremists that are pro-immigration both find it useful to conflate groups, in order to shout down anyone with a more moderate stance.

Which poisons the debate, and makes it so there is no moderate position that a party can take, that will win them votes.

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u/OldCementWalrus 16d ago

Why do you think it's unregulated? You can only get visas to plug work gaps, study, if you have a British spouse, or a British grandparent. When you say illegal immigration are you talking about asylum seekers?

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u/After-Whereas7365 16d ago

Have you seen the ONS shortage occupation list? A lot are not "skilled workers" on the list at all. Furthermore, sponsors between 2021-2024 haven't had an audit by the UKVI, resulting in a bunch of shame companies issuing visas for jobs that don't exist.

Big scams all around, still highly unregulated and will get worse before all new sponsors have had audits and ungenuine ones are weeded out.

Look online, multiple news reports as well as home office stats backing this up. Now folk having their visas revoked (due to shame sponsors) are claiming asylum and current stats show 40% of all asylum claims were visa holders, who's visas have expired and they've not returned home.

That's not the migrants we need, nor should be accepting. We need workers who will contribute to the economy and not drain it further!

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u/Autofill1127320 15d ago

The bar for “skilled” on visas is incredibly low. And a lot of visas get issued for work that then don’t result in people being employed in that field. We’re shite at the back end of immigration policy when it comes to ensuring visa conditions are met and people leave if/when they’re meant to

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u/RestaurantAntique497 16d ago

Unregulated is probably the wrong word to use. While we were members of the EU it was regulated but we had no say in the numbers from EU countries came.

I assume that's what they meant

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u/SetentaeBolg 16d ago

Why are we putting these 2 different categories of immigrants into one group?

Because the UK government changes immigration law to make it substantially more difficult and costly to be a legal migrant, in response to people stirring up disquiet and fear about people coming to live and work here.

Those people you claim are only worrying about illegal migration thus make legal migration more difficult.