Scotland pushing for a special immigration policy for the regional after Brexit

In a bid to attract foreigners to invest and boost their economy, the Scottish parliamentary committee made of members from the various parties represented made a case for the Scotland to be given a “differentiated” immigration policy as the UK exits the EU.

The proposal was made on the premise that Scotland depends on young migrants from the EU to help boost its labour force and its population strength, saying that a “hard Brexit” with stiff immigration controls has the possibility of creating an adverse impact on the Scottish economy.

So far record has it that over 180,000 EU citizens currently live in Scotland, making up 3.4 percent of the population.

“The committee believes … there are acute risks to Scotland of a loss of the existing EU migrants or a decline in future migration,” the MPs said.

EU migrants have been particularly critical to Scotland’s higher education and research sector, as well as its construction sector, the committee said.

The nation voted to stay in the bloc while the U.K. as a whole voted to leave in last June’s referendum. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is at odds with British Prime Minister Theresa May over the government’s Brexit strategy, which includes limiting immigration and leaving the single market. She has threatened to call a second vote on Scotland’s independence from the U.K. if she doesn’t think Scottish interests are being represented by Westminster.

Also recall that in a paper published before Christmas, the Scottish government argued in favour of a concession arrangement whereby, if the U.K. leaves the single market, Scotland could remain a member as part of the European Economic Area (the so-called Norway option.)

The committee’s report states that, if EU migrants living in “imposed uncertainty” decide to leave Scotland as a result of Brexit, the move would not only “undermine Scotland’s economic performance,” but also “reduce the sustainability and cultural diversity of our communities.”

Losing them, it said, would “leave Scotland a narrower place.”