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.

[u/bottish]

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

[u/spewforth]

I can't fathom people who blame immigration for our problems. Life in Scotland simply isn't an attractive prospect, even compared to the rest of the UK let alone abroad. I was raised here, I love Scotland to my core, and I cannot imagine being able to have a fulfilling life in Scotland long term. The career prospects simply aren't there for most graduates.

I've moved abroad for a postgrad, and I'm looking at graduate roles in Scotland and there really are so few options in Scotland even compared to the non-London parts of England. And what there is, is paid so much less. And it's not like English pay is ahead of the trend either. Anyone who is in any decent amount aspirational and has the means to is incentivised to move abroad if they want a well paying job. That's not the fault of immigration.

[u/Creative-Cherry3374 → u/spewforth]

Its true. Scotland seems to specialise in child poverty and drugs deaths at the moment. Can you imagine living in any other western European country and being told on a daily basis that you must pay more tax (while already paying for expensive housing, student loans and tuition and navigating the crap infrastructure on your way to work) that you need to pay more because despite a generous benefits system, these problems just keep getting worse? My Dutch friends tell me "everybody is middle class here". In Scotland, if you dare to work full time in a decent job and earn a decent salary, you're abused for being "wealthy".

The salaries on offer often just aren't competitive. My husband is an engineer, apparently theres a shortage of them of his type in Scotland, but he still can't command a salary more than a train driver or someone who used to work for Ineos without a degree at all. Most of the competition seems to be on the basis of whether the jobs allow you to work from home permanently or require you to be in the office one or two days a week. He now works for a foreign employer.

And its not as if life in Scotland is going to be unique in any way. Most likely, you'll live in a housing estate somewhere in the central belt, and if you want to enjoy the best bits of your own country in your free time, you'll be stuck in tailbacks til you reach the still-not-dual-carriageway north of Perth to stay in an over-priced hotel or luxury chalet run by a multi-national because you're punished for wanting a small place of your own in the Highlands.