SNP put student immigration at heart of economy

Thousands of foreign students studying in an independent Scotland would be handed visas to allow them to stay on to work or set up their own businesses.

SNP ministers have unveiled plans to revive the controversial post-study work visa regime in the event of a Yes vote.

The visa allowed non-EU students to stay in the UK to work for up to two years after graduating but it was scrapped by the UK Government last year.

Coalition ministers claimed the system was being abused by students coming to study at below degree level to live and work rather than studying.

But Finance Secretary John Swinney claims allowing more of the 30,000 international students studying in Scotland to stay in the country and work would boost the economy.

Scottish Government estimates show that every 1,000 additional graduates working in Scotland could boost the economy by £10 million and support around 200 jobs.

Mr Swinney said: “We should be encouraging more talented people from around the world to further their education in Scotland, providing income for our education institutions and contributing to the local economy and community diversity.

“It’s absurd that talented individuals are instead being discouraged from coming to Scotland. It’s an out of date approach that is not fit for a modern country.

“Immigration policies decided in Westminster simply do not fit Scotland’s needs and they are hampering our ability to develop a thriving economy.

“We need to take steps to boost our working age population, not measures that stop people from contributing.

“The one-size-fits-all economic policies from successive UK Governments have failed and are continuing to fail the people of Scotland. We need the powers to be able to tackle this issue.”

The new rules for non-EU students mean they must have offers of graduate-level jobs, paying at least £20,000 a year, prior to the expiry of their student visas if they wish to stay on to work.

A previous regional immigration initiative for Scotland, Fresh Talent, was aimed at reversing Scotland’s then declining population.

The scheme proved popular, with around 4,000 overseas students applying to live and work here.

Faced with falling numbers of people paying tax and an ageing population, SNP ministers have little choice but to try and expand the workforce by encouraging people to settle in Scotland after a Yes vote.

But the move is not without its political risks.

The myth that Scots don’t have any concerns about immigration was exposed last week with a poll which showed voters do have fears about the SNP’s plan to grow the economy by encouraging more non-EU people to Scotland.

A poll of 1,134 Scots by Progressive Partnership found only a fifth of voters believe the move would “benefit Scotland’s economy”.

Those taking part in the poll were told: “In the White Paper on Independence, the Scottish Government said it would encourage greater immigration into Scotland through measures such as lowering minimum salary levels for entry.”

They were then asked: “To what extent do you agree or disagree that this approach would benefit Scotland’s economy?”

Just 8% of respondents said they “strongly agree” with the policy, and 13% said they “slightly agree” while 20% were in slight disagreement and 38% “strongly disagreed”.

Migrants accounted for the bulk of the 13,700 rise in Scotland’s population over the last year but in a country of more than five million this causes barely a ripple.

Scottish Conservative MSP Alex Johnstone said: “This is another indication the SNP wants to adopt a drastically different immigration policy than the rest of the UK.

“If that is the case, it’s clear some kind of border patrol will have to be established in the event of separation.

“It is nave for the Scottish Government to suggest that the remaining UK would not view Scotland as a soft entry point for illegal immigrants.”

A Home Office spokesperson said:“Our tough reforms are working and immigration continues to fall.

“We have tightened immigration routes where abuse was rife, but are still encouraging the brightest and best to come here to study and work.

“Our new, more selective system allows only the brightest and best graduates who can contribute most to our economy to stay on and work after their studies.”