Does Scotland do enough to welcome immigrants and asylum seekers?

Question

Considering Scotland's declining poplulation, and the fact that we badly need a new influx of people - do immigrants and asylum seekers generally feel more threatened or more welcomed by the attitudes of the Scottish public?

tony7holbr - I have absolutely no idea what your on about mate! I don't speak that specific dialect of jibberish.

On a more serious note - I have to say that I am dismayed that many of the answers to this question have expressed ill-informed, narrow minded, insular and xenophobic views, which in my opinion have no place in modern multicultural society.

Those who are anti-immigration would do well to have a look at David F's answer. I don't really agree with what he had to day, but it was a considered and well thought out reply to my question.

Anyway, thank goodness for the few voices of reason who have answered so far - merry, Myra and Sam

trigga1uk - I wouldn't dream of being so crass and ignorant as to label you a "right-wing sun reader*. That doesn't remove the fact that your answer is little more than a mixture of twisted ideology and ill-informed drivel. Sorry if this response offends your delicate sensibilities, but I have difficulty thinking down to your level.

Answer 1

As an Englishman currently living in Edinburgh, I have never experienced anything other than a friendly welcome from the Scots, although you could hardly describe me as an immigrant since I simply come from another part of the UK. I do realise that there is an undercurrent of racism in Scotland, however, which has probably always been there. I have to say though that racist attitudes are much more explicit and obvious in England, particularly in parts of the north.

I do think the vast majority of Scots are very friendly and welcoming to outsiders, whatever their race, creed or colour. Something Scottish people should be very proud of. The recent increase in the incidence of racist attacks, particularly in Scotland's youth culture, on the other hand is very troubling, and must make asylum seekers (who have been most commonly targeted) feel threatened and somewhat insecure.

I think this is a problem that needs to be addressed in the first instance by better policing, and in the longer term through education. These misguided young people need to be taught that they don't need to fear that which is different. Skin colour and religious or cultural differences are a great deal less important than the fact that we are all human beings. Our differences should be embraced rather than feared.

Answer 2

Scotland welcomes those that they have invited to our beautiful country with open arms, most of the immigrants who have come here love it they integrate into our culture and pick up our accent very quickly.

Scotland can deal with a declining population by advertising vacancies, it is not our way to employ "Token" workers.

If an Immigrant wants to come and live in Scotland and is prepared to work and live in harmony then they will enjoy the benefits we have to offer, if they don't want that then like any normal country they would not be welcome.
Scot's are Adventurers and lots left for that reason not for economic as some posts above say.

Answer 3

I'd like to think Scotland was a welcoming place to arrive in but I suspect it may not be. I think we're becoming less tolerant and while there are examples of kindness there are many who view anyone new with suspicion. My mother in law lives in a pleasant middle class area of Dundee and hardly has any experience of immegrants yet she constantly talks about the 'problem'. I'm sure she's not unique. The media don't help. Too much is said about asylum seekers as if they were our enemy. We need new blood and anyone who makes the effort to get here and leaves behind his own family and country deserves our support. There will always be a few bad apples but look at the'natives'!

Answer 4

I would like to think that the majority of Scottish people are welcoming to immigrants and asylum seekers, although I do fear that there is a current of racism running through our society, and particularly the young. This has, worryingly, has been manifesting itself recently as violent racist attacks (see the Scotland section in the http://news.bbc.co.uk website today to see what I mean.

So no, I don't think we are as welcoming as we could be to people, who come to our country in the hope of having a better life.

Also I would like to comment on a couple of answers given above - first, where does this strange outlandish idea that many Scots seek work elsewhere for economic reasons come from? Economic migration from Scotland hasn't happened to any great extent since the Highland clearences in the18th century. In more recent times Scotland has had more of a "brain drain", where highly qualified and skilled people have been leaving to work elsewhere for a mixture of reasons, but mainly just to find jobs suitable for their qualifications which may not be available in Scotland.

Also I think many answers given here are missing the point about why Scotland needs more immigrants to come here. We need skilled immigrants to fill jobs in areas where we don't have enough people with the right qualifications (basically the opposite of our "brain drain").

Answer 5

Scotland does not do enough to welcome immigrants and asylum seekers for a very good reason.
It is a myth that Scotland needs immigrants and asylum seekers. This myth is fuelled by the greed of company bosses who want to bring low cost workers to replace indigenous Scottish workers. Studies have shown that allowing immigrants and asylum seekers into a country leads to a cut in wages and increased unemployment for the indigenous population. It also hinders technological growth. For example, London was short of bus conductors in the 1950s (mainly because of poor wages). The bosses persuaded the government to let in immigrants to do this ("We badly need an infux of immigrants..."). However this held back progress for decades. Now we have one-man buses and in London we have Oyster cards (pre-paid) so now we have no need for bus conductors. Therefore we not need to import immigrants and asylum seekers to become bus conductors.
The same could be said about "fruit pickers". Some companies have said that they would go out of business if they were not able to employ foreign workers as fruit pickers. All it needs is for someone to invent an economical fruit-picking machine and then there would be no need for foreign workers to do this work.
This technological progress could be applied to most job shortages. Shortage of nurses? Instead of importing nurses from foreign countries (where they are needed even more) it is better to develop robot nurses who could the job.
Swamping Scotland with immigrants and asylum seekers will eventually lead to a loss of the Scottish culture and identity.

Answer 6

Im not to keen on how you regard many opinions against immigration as having 'no place in a multi-cultural society'.

Are you another believer in the multi-cultural utopia? Sorry to break it to you but even the government are now admitting that multi-culturalism may not met peoples rather high expectations. It has segregated a country and given people even more reason to form differences. It'll probably be looked back on like communism in 50 years time. "Oh you remember Multi-culturalism, good idea in theory but not so good in practice" people will say.

Before you label me with the Right wing sun reader label i would inform you that i have travelled the world extensively and have nothing but repsect for different cultures and beliefs. But what ive also seen is mixing them all together is not such a good idea- well how many examples do you want. South africa - Israel - and modern day uk to name but a few.

Something should be addressed with the scotland issue. For a start £400 million on a parliment that no politician can use - because their all down here. Note to Gordon Brown - turn until you face north and walk until you reach a place called Scotland and govern that!

But what will become of Scotland - No more tartan and haggis and people with half their faces painted blue - it'll be some bastardised version of 10 or so eastern european countries mixed together. Probably beating s**t out of each other on the streets of an even more unpleasant Glasgow.

Before long there will be no such thing as a scotsman - A day i would not want to see.

Answer 7

Scotland wants to break away from the UK - good - so if they do get all the asylum seekers and immigrants they are asking for, will they change the name of Scotland to, let`s say:-

Scotiraq, Scotistan, Scotislam, Scotallah to name just a few :-)

Answer 8

I am just wondering whether you really do need an influx of immigrants.

The problem I have with your proposal, is that, as many Scots. don't live in Scotland for economic reasons, wouldn't immigrants experience the same problem, and might they not eventually move to England, or elsewhere, for economic reasons?

Answer 9

maximum of those so-stated as "hand-outs" are concentrated on the undesirable. on the grounds that almost a million/4 of the inhabitants of African individuals stay under the poverty point, we make the main of the help. in case you have not seen the "hand-outs", then you certainly curiously do not choose them. do not knock what's the existence line for many suffering persons in spite of race. as far as loose money for college, everyone who knows the device can get loose money. i.e I attended Jacksonville college (it extremely is a private college) for 4 years with an in-state training at perfect around $16K according to year. back, it somewhat is in-state w/out room and board. My scholarship is 70%. I basically had to get a private loan over the span of four years for about 2 grand. the money is provided for everyone keen to get it.

Answer 10

I think people are generally too busy getting on with their llives to think about whether they're being welcoming to immigrants, asylum seekers or anyone else that they don't know.