UK – Scotland in need of immigrants

[winterbadger]

10 November 2004

The first minister of Scotland, Jack McConnell, is determined to bring Scotland back on the map as a country where foreign skilled professionals would want to live and work. Without immigrants, the Scottish population is expected to decline drastically over the coming years.

McConnell's Fresh Talent initiative aims at promoting Scotland enough to attract 8,000 foreign professionals each year from now to 2009. There are also plans to grant visa extensions to foreign students who wish to stay after graduation. The first minister is presently discussing with the UK Home Office on a number of immigration initiatives.

Still, Scottish opposition leaders say McConnell's Fresh Talent will not solve the declining population problem in the country. They say Scotland is in need of 10,000 new immigrants every year just to keep the population steady.

Comments

[winterbadger]

Hopefully something other than the standard UK scheme, which encourages appllications from people wishing to work in the hospitality industry, the meat-packing and seafood-processing industry, and from people with doctorates, 5-10 years experience at senior management levels, and national/international recognition.

And, of course, Westminster still ahs to grant Scotland the power to form separate policy on this score...

[robbysmom.livejournal.com]

and when we were in London, they were looking for social workers-- also not up your alley :-)

[blueinva.livejournal.com]

They might be looking for policemen. Apart from Taggart they all seem to be working in London and the Home Counties too...(honestly!)

[blueinva.livejournal.com]

Not a problem I wouldn't think, given that Scottish MPs have a large say in the current cabinet (and in the Shadow cabinet)
Perhaps Gordon Brown can take some time off from raising new taxes (85 and counting since he became Chancellor) to help out. But then he's got more important things like making sure the HRH comes off of the Inland Revenue and the like...