A Scotland where everyone is welcome
Scotland would not be what it is today without people coming to our country from around the world,
contributing incalculable benefits to our economy, society and culture. Despite hostile migration policy that is made for us by Westminster, we are rightly proud of the welcoming home that generations of migrants have found in our country.
But we should not shy away from the fact that the far right is gaining ground in our communities. It has never been more important to stand up for all those who have made Scotland their home. We must resist the poisonous rhetoric of the far-right groups, and build diverse, strong and united communities.
With the powers of Independence, the Scottish Greens would abolish the Home Office and build an immigration and asylum system based on humanity, dignity and respect. Until then, we will continue to advocate for powers over immigration to be fully devolved to Scotland, allowing us to establish a fair system which ensures Scotland can recruit the new workers we desperately need in sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and hospitality, whilst providing refuge for those who need our support.
We must also use devolved powers to ensure we support people seeking to build new lives in Scotland, avoiding destitution by design. Instead we must ensure everyone has access to the basic essentials: a safe warm home, food, education, healthcare and access to legal aid and public services.
- Call on the UK Government to fully devolve the responsibility for housing and support of people seeking asylum to Scotland, ensuring that new arrivals are properly supported to rebuild their lives here, and providing full funding for local councils to deliver this new responsibility.
- Stop private companies profiteering from a broken system using these new powers. We will fund councils and registered social landlords to become the preferred suppliers of housing in communities, and end the routine use of hotels and barracks as housing for people seeking asylum.
- Empower local communities to apply for protest buffer zones around spaces providing asylum accommodation and services for as long as people are forced into hotels and barracks by the Home Office.
- Back the proposed pilot scheme granting people seeking asylum the right to work, allowing them to support themselves and their families; and reduce barriers to employment by using all powers available in Scotland to ensure that overseas qualifications are recognised as soon as possible after arrival.
- Establish a Community Cohesion fund to provide sustained funding for Local Authorities to invest in core services and grassroots community engagement programmes in communities which host New Scots.
- Support more New Scots to stand for public office by establishing an equivalent of the Barriers to Elected Office fund for disabled people, and create pathways for New Scots to serve on community boards, such as Parent and Community Councils.
- Help New Scots into secure employment by supporting employability schemes, and fund advocacy schemes to ensure all migrant workers know and are able to realise their rights in the workplace.
- Call on the UK Government to end the cruel No Recourse to Public Funds policy, and, in advance of it ending, support the Fair Way Scotland initiative. We will encourage councils to use existing powers, such as child protection powers, to provide welfare services that mitigate the impact of NRPF whilst not putting staff at legal risk.
- Use all powers available to the Scottish Government to end unnecessary data sharing with the Home Office. Everyone resident in Scotland will have equal access to housing, healthcare and education, regardless of immigration status.
- Introduce Scotland-wide anti-racist education across schools, policing, and public institutions, and deliver accessible public information campaigns highlighting New Scots’ contributions to the economy, culture and civic life.
