Migration to Scotland after Brexit examined
18 December 2017
The Scottish Affairs Committee hears on the importance of immigration to three sectors of the Scottish economy.
Attend the session
This will be the third evidence session of the Scottish Affairs Committee's inquiry into Immigration and Scotland. The session features three panels of witnesses representing different sectors of the Scottish economy: food, drink and fisheries; health and social care; and hospitality and tourism.
Witnesses
Monday 18 December, Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation
At 9.15am
- Food, drink and fisheries: Mike Park, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish White Fish Producers Association, and David Thomson, Chief Executive Officer, Food and Drink Federation Scotland
At 10.00am
- Health and social care: Shirley Rogers, Director of Health Workforce and Strategic Change, Scottish Government, and Dr Donald Macaskill, Chief Executive, Scottish Care
At 10.45am
- Hospitality and tourism: Willie Macleod, Executive Director for Scotland, British Hospitality Association, and Marc Crothall, Chief Executive, Scottish Tourism Alliance
Migration after Brexit
At present EU citizens have a right to live and work in any EU nation, including the UK, and these arrangements will apply at least until the UK leaves the EU. Migration to Scotland from the EU is therefore currently unrestricted, but it is not yet clear how future migration from the EU will be managed post-Brexit. The Committee will be asking how the EU referendum has affected the availability of EU workers, and what the implications for Scotland will be if future migration from the EU is more heavily restricted.
Workers from outside the EU require a visa and applications are considered using a points-based system. The vast majority of work visas require sponsorship by an employer, and there are costs to both visa applicants and employers. The Committee will hear from the witnesses about how well the current visa system meets the needs of their sectors, and whether the Scotland-specific Shortage Occupation List accurately reflects skills shortages in Scotland.
Chair's comments
Committee Chair Pete Wishart said:
"Since launching its inquiry, the Committee has heard from academic and business representatives about the labour needs of Scottish business and how well these are met by current immigration arrangements, and how easy it will be for non-UK citizens to move to Scotland post-Brexit.
We will now hear from sectoral bodies about their current and future labour needs, how well these are served by current immigration arrangements, and what additional challenges are likely to arise as a result of Brexit.This session seeks to establish how different sectors are preparing for its impact, and what more needs to be done to help them do so."