Immigration system is not fit for purpose, says SNP minister Fiona Hyslop

THE UK immigration system is “not fit for purpose”, a Scottish Government minister has claimed.

Fiona Hyslop, cabinet secretary for external affairs, cited a string of mistakes by the Home Office – including the “Windrush Generation” scandal – as the case for Scotland being able to set its own immigration policy.

Last week, we revealed how Paul Cudjoe, 62, who is originally from Grenada, was forced to spend thousands of pounds to prove his right to stay in Britain – despite having lived in Dundee for 40 years.

Windrush: ‘I lived in Dundee for 40 years, but the first time I went abroad, Britain wouldn’t let me back in’

Theresa May has apologised for the UK Government’s handling of the Windrush scandal and Amber Rudd quit as Home Secretary last week after admitting she had misled MPs.

But Ms Hyslop said: “A succession of Home Secretaries – both Labour and Conservative – have fostered an ideological hostility to any form of sensible immigration policy.

“Put simply, we literally cannot afford to just keep waiting for Westminster to get its house in order and hope that they might one day start taking Scotland’s needs into account.

“Given what we have seen in the last few weeks, the case for Scotland being able to set its own immigration policy is stronger than ever.”

‘I was born in and teach in Scotland… now I could be forced to leave’: Couple brand system cruel and confusing after visa refusal