The next item of business is a statement by Kaukab Stewart entitled “One Scotland, Many Voices: A Shared Future”. The minister will take questions at the end of her statement, so there should be no interventions or interruptions.
14:25
At a time when hostile rhetoric is creating real fear and uncertainty, it is vital that we recognise its impact on communities across the country.
When people feel excluded or marginalised, communities suffer. Tensions rise, trust erodes, and we begin to see the normalisation of resentment and division and the entrenchment of othering, in which communities are excluded and alienated. The effects are direct and lasting. They echo through families, schools, workplaces and the everyday interactions that define our shared lives. The shared bonds that hold communities together begin to fray. If targeting of minorities goes unchallenged, we undermine not only our values but Scotland’s hard-earned international reputation as a welcoming country—one that is known for understanding the desperate situation of those fleeing conflict and persecution and for responding to them with compassion and kindness.
Over the past fortnight, we have welcomed six families from Gaza who have arrived with children who are in need of urgent medical care. That is part of the First Minister’s commitment that Scotland will treat up to 20 child patients from Gaza. The Government has always taken seriously its responsibility to promote safe and connected communities, and we will continue to work together with partners and local authorities to ensure that all communities have the means to contribute, to feel safe and to have a sense of belonging in Scotland.
Looking out for one another is not just a policy goal. It is not optional or idealistic; it is part of the fabric of our lives in this country. We value diversity not just as a principle but as a strength that enriches our society and our economy. As a country, Scotland has real and pressing demographic needs. We need inward migration to support our communities, our public services and our economy. That is why we have consistently called for the creation of regular, safe and accessible visa routes that reflect Scotland’s needs and that allow people to come here not only to work but to settle and to contribute to our society.
We completely reject the disgraceful comments made earlier this week by Nigel Farage, who set out desperate and despicable plans for mass deportations, and callously and blatantly blamed migrants for the economic state of broken Britain. Farage’s plans threaten to collapse our national health service and crash our economy all over again. We do not accept that and, to be clear, he should be ashamed of such blatant demonisation. [Interruption.]
There should be no interruptions or interventions.
The Scottish Government has made detailed, constructive proposals to the United Kingdom Government on safe and accessible visa routes. Unfortunately, the response so far has been disappointing. Once again, the immigration system that we are tied to does not reflect Scotland’s interests or values.
However, the UK Government’s approach has not deterred us from doing what we can within our powers. We have established Scotland’s migration service to support employers, investors and individuals to navigate the UK immigration system. Our new Scots strategy sets out a clear and integrated approach to supporting refugees and people seeking asylum—from day 1, on their arrival. It is a model of partnership that is embedded at the local level across national and local government, third sector organisations and communities. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees commended that approach when he visited Scotland earlier this year.
Last month, I experienced the excellent community development and refugee integration work that is taking place across Perth and Kinross, which brings communities together through community cafes and shared passions such as football. I also learned of the support that Perth and Kinross Council gives to young people who are seeking asylum, by helping them to understand and access the support to which they are entitled, delivering local orientation and English classes and supporting them to integrate into the local community through volunteering opportunities and sport. In October 2024, that work led to Perth and Kinross Council being awarded council of sanctuary status, as one of the many places in Scotland that are recognised for their efforts in welcoming people who seek sanctuary here.
Our shared aim is clear: to ensure that all new Scots have the opportunity to rebuild their lives here and to feel part of our nation. That approach not only supports individuals but strengthens the communities of which they become part.
The Scottish Government remains dedicated to a path that is rooted in the power of community and committed to dignity and inclusion. In tough times, we should not turn against our neighbours—we should turn towards one other. It is not acceptable to vilify and exclude communities. We must never allow fear to erode our humanity, nor Scotland’s reputation as a proud home to many different communities living side by side.
My commitment to that is not just rhetorical—it is practical, visible and on-going. I am fortunate to have seen at first hand the good and collaborative efforts of communities across our country to ensure that Scotland is a place where everyone belongs and feels safe. Just recently, I was honoured to attend the pitch-to-plate multicultural meal at Hibernian Football Club—an example of how faith and sport can come together to build community. That monthly event, which is led by the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society and the Hibernian Community Foundation, brings together new Scots, refugees and those who are facing hardship, to share a warm meal and meaningful connection.
On Tuesday morning this week, I visited the Maryhill Integration Network, which supports integration in communities, providing space for people to come together through music, art, gardening and language classes. That organisation and many others like it all do vital work in their local areas to support integration, build community support and bring people together through community projects. They engage locally, to help to share factual information and build awareness and understanding through training sessions. They also focus on new challenges that have developed in recent years, whereby misinformation that is shared online has significant impacts on individuals and communities. In my discussions with the team at Maryhill, it was clear to me that their staff and the people whom they serve are being directly impacted by the climate of fear that has been building. That is simply unacceptable, and it goes against everything that Scotland stands for.
Strong communities do not happen by accident, and we must never take them for granted. There is no room for complacency. All that work shows the impact of community-led support that brings people together across cultures, faiths and experiences. Those are spaces in which our shared values of compassion, solidarity and mutual respect thrive. Such success stories rarely make the headlines, but they are the stories that shape a better future.
Building and nurturing cohesion requires investment in services, in support and—most of all—in people. We will continue to support and fund organisations that are embedded in communities across Scotland—organisations that know their people, understand their challenges and work every day, throughout the length and breadth of Scotland, to respond, adapt and engage in ways that bring people together and challenge exclusion.
We recognise, too, that challenges remain. We are committed to addressing the shared difficulties that many people feel, and to fostering a sense of collective belonging and purpose. In line with the themes that were discussed at the First Minister’s gathering in April, we have been actively listening to and engaging with communities. As a result, we are working closely with partners to refocus our efforts towards building meaningful links among communities, broadening our approach to cohesion and ensuring that it reflects the diverse realities and strengths of Scotland today.
That is why, today, I am pleased to announce further funding of £300,000 this year, in addition to the £7.9 million for 2025-26 that my portfolio already provides, to support organisations that work across Scotland to support community cohesion. That additional funding is intended to support organisations, activities and initiatives that bring local communities together to address shared issues and counter division.
My intention is to support work that builds connections across different communities and fosters greater understanding, meaningful dialogue and intercultural activities, in order to enhance mutual respect and understanding at a local level. The aim is to strengthen our social fabric and contribute to common goals such as promoting collective wellbeing, bridging divides and countering misinformation.
Focusing on what unites us, this funding seeks to benefit all communities and to help to heal divisions through inclusive, collaborative action. We cannot, and will not, allow division and hostility to define us. I am determined to work with our partners to build on and support the excellent work of local community organisations and projects that bring people together to build the strong, resilient and connected communities across Scotland that we all want to see.
The minister will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I plan to allow around 20 minutes for that, after which we will need to move on to the next item of business. I would be grateful if members who wish to ask a question and who have not already done so would press their request-to-speak buttons.
I thank the minister for prior sight of her statement. In it, she indicates that the Scottish Government has always taken seriously its responsibility to promote safe and connected communities, and that it will continue to support and fund organisations that are embedded in communities across Scotland and engage in ways that bring people together. Although the announcement of additional funding is welcome, local authorities are facing financial constraints as they deal with the influx of individuals.
What measures will the Scottish Government put in place to support local authorities; what discussion has it had with the UK Government about dealing with the number of refugees and asylum seekers; and what is its long-term approach to dealing with the number of refugees and asylum seekers, given the possible impact on local services?
I think the member for his questions—I will do my best to pick up on as many of them as I can.
I reinforce the point that this Government will talk about neighbours and human beings and take a human rights-embedded approach. Therefore, our focus is not on numbers; it is on making sure that we fulfil the needs of Scotland. We understand the pressures that are faced as a result of a failed immigration system that is being perpetuated by decisions that are made in the UK. The UK Government has enhanced and sped up the processing of applications, but it has not provided adequate funding to enable the move-on period.
We have had negotiations with the UK Government. As I said in my statement, the response has been disappointing.
I welcome the minister’s comments on the need to promote strong and resilient communities. I, too, reject the hostile rhetoric of Nigel Farage and Reform UK, who only offer division and hatred, rather than bringing people together.
The first issue for the Government is promoting inclusion. In 2002, Scottish Labour launched the one Scotland, many cultures campaign, a public-awareness campaign celebrating the diversity of Scotland and Scots, which ran in cinemas, on television, at bus stops and in schools, right the way across the country. It challenged perceptions and promoted understanding between cultures. Will the minister repeat a population-wide awareness campaign?
The second issue is dealing with the problems that Scots feel disappointed with every day: the lack of housing, waiting lists in the national health service and declining town centres—all things that are the responsibility of the Scottish Government. What will the minister and her colleagues do to fix public services, rather than have more people attracted to the politics of division?
I acknowledge that campaign, which people continue to talk to me about. Through my portfolio, I have the pleasure of meeting many faith and belief groups, older people’s organisations and disability networks, and they all express to me the point that in every aspect of our society people are feeling the rise in negative rhetoric. I am listening carefully to those groups. Although they, rightly, challenge the Scottish Government to show visible leadership and give a strong, clear and consistent message on cohesion and protecting our communities, my challenge to everybody is to fulfil their responsibilities and their leadership roles—in their organisations, on the streets with their neighbours and in their communities—and make sure that we treat people with compassion and kindness. That is how we can counteract division.
The funding will support conversations about the difficulties that people are facing because of rising food bills. We must ensure that we deal with misinformation and realise that the challenges faced by different parts of our community are actually challenges that we all face and that we have more in common than what separates us.
I welcome the announcement of Scottish Government funding for organisations working on community cohesion because we know the importance of that work in promoting inclusion. Will the minister expand on the type of work that the funding will support in order to build integrated communities in Scotland?
We want to support organisations that bring local communities together to tackle exclusion and division. The additional funding stream will support grass-roots organisations working across shared interest areas such as sport, health, wellbeing and cultural activities, bringing communities together to build trust and connections through meaningful dialogue and engagement. We want to support activities that unite and that deliver outcomes that can benefit everyone, regardless of their background.
Communities in Aberdeenshire are tolerant, respectful, welcoming and understanding, but they face a situation that was supposed to be temporary. Aberdeenshire Council is at a disadvantage because it is the fourth-lowest-funded council in Scotland and is now making swingeing cuts to its creaking services, which are already at capacity. How much of the £7.9 million, and of the additional £300,000, will go to Aberdeenshire Council?
Tess White raises the important pressures faced by councils. However, and as I think I said in answer to a previous question, she will be fully aware that immigration is a wholly reserved area. Local councils do not fund hotel provision, which is meant to be temporary. We have repeatedly called on the UK Government to provide funding directly to local authorities, which we believe are best placed to provide all the services required to ensure that we have full integration.
We have seen examples of that. We had the Afghan relocation scheme, and one for Syrians. We have stuff that works and I urge the UK Government to give serious consideration to the examples that we already have of good practice that supports local authorities.
I welcome the new Scots integration strategy launched by the Scottish Government last year. Will the minister update Parliament on the implementation of that strategy and on how it is working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Scottish Refugee Council to ensure that the lived experience of refugees and people seeking asylum is central to its delivery?
As I said in my opening remarks, the Scottish Government completely rejects the language and proposals of Nigel Farage, who has threatened mass deportation for people who have rightfully come to the UK and have established their lives, work and families here as part of our communities.
I suppose that new Scots integration—I am sorry, Presiding Officer, but I have lost the thread of Marie McNair’s question, although I am doing my best to answer the substance of it. Is it okay if she repeats the question for me?
I am afraid that we cannot go backwards, minister.
It was about new Scots integration.
Thank you.
As I said, the new Scots integration plan has been widely acclaimed and acknowledged as an example of good practice. It is shared equally—we worked with third sector stakeholders and with COSLA—and is multiportfolio, covering areas such as health, transport and education. We believe that it is an excellent example that the UK Government could learn from.
I associate myself with the sentiments in the minister’s statement, and in particular her commendation of the Maryhill Integration Network, which does excellent work in Glasgow—I think that its annual general meeting will be held this afternoon. It also provides the secretariat to the cross-party group on migration, which has been a fantastic addition to the Parliament in recent years.
Does the minister agree that this is fundamentally a question of housing supply, that we cannot allow a housing crisis to translate into an issue of social cohesion and that we need to build out housing and expand cities such as Glasgow, which has plenty of latent capacity? Does she also recognise that we need to have measurable outcomes from the new Scots integration strategy, in particular around skills? We have heard Ukrainians and others who have settled status say that they are struggling to access skills-appropriate work. We have had dentists cycling around delivering for Uber in Glasgow—
Briefly.
—when they could be training at pace. Can we get that sorted?
Paul Sweeney picks up many threads. The big difference with the Ukrainian resettlement scheme was that Ukrainians had the right to work, which we called for. There are big differences between them and asylum seekers who have no recourse to public funds. I commend the work that Paul Sweeney did in campaigning to secure a free bus travel pilot, for instance, which we are delivering on.
I understand the point that he makes about housing pressures. This Government has declared the housing emergency, and it is investing record amounts of funding not only in bringing on new bills, but in dealing with void properties. However, the bigger issue in this context is that we must not use the unhappiness that people are feeling and pit communities against one another. We must reject that division.
Migration to Scotland provides substantial economic benefits by boosting labour supply, increasing productivity, filling skills gaps and raising tax revenue, which supports public services and a growing economy. It is also crucial for sustaining and growing the population, particularly by addressing the projected fall in the working-age population. Beyond economics, migrants enrich communities and contribute to cultural life.
Does the minister agree that it is the duty of all of us in this Parliament to ensure that debate on the subject is balanced, compassionate and fact based in order to ensure that our shared future is built on coalitions of solidarity, and does she agree that faith groups, the private sector, schools and civic organisations must stand together?
I absolutely agree that we all have a responsibility across this Parliament to ensure that our leadership and language are factual and respectful. Now more than ever, it is vital that we continue to stand in solidarity with all communities across Scotland against exclusion and division.
I thank the minister for her statement. I called for the statement during the recess, after we saw vile hate and outright fascism on our streets. Whipping up anti-migrant fear, whether in blocking family reunions or tearing families apart because of changes to indefinite leave to remain, is sold as the answer to poverty, inequality and an economic system that fails too many. However, it is another false solution, just like austerity and Brexit. It is pushed by politicians and the media and left unchallenged by a weak UK Government that is drifting to the right.
Can the minister be more specific about how we can ensure that asylum seekers who are being accommodated in Scotland feel welcomed and supported despite the demonisation that they face by the UK Government and too many others?
I am hopeful. We have worked to build cohesive communities, which have been hard fought for and hard won, and this Government will do everything that it can to protect our cohesive communities and reject any kind of negative narrative. Communities are our allies. Working in partnership with our delivery partners and communities is core to the approach that we have already taken, and it will underpin how we will use the additional money to support work among all our communities, so that they can come together and be connected. Our approach to cohesion is built on that solid foundation of equality, inclusion and human rights.
I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests, having been a host for Ukraine for nine months under the homes for Ukraine scheme.
I welcome the tone of the minister’s statement, particularly her remarks about the fact that we have a proud tradition of offering safe harbour to people through our asylum system. However, does she recognise that there is a crisis in the asylum backlog because of processing times, which was caused in large part—and deliberately—by the last Conservative Government, and does she agree with Liberal Democrat plans to activate the Civil Contingencies Act 1998, so that we can double the number of caseworkers processing asylum claims and start up Nightingale-style processing centres in order to reduce the number of claims in only six months?
I thank Alex Cole-Hamilton for the question and for taking the opportunity to highlight one of the Liberal Democrat policy areas.
The UK immigration white paper set out policy intentions that aim to reduce the levels of net migration to the UK. However, our demographic evidence makes it clear that Scotland’s population growth and its working-age population growth rely wholly on sustained positive net migration to Scotland continuing. The UK immigration system is focused on sectoral approaches, but we have argued for visa routes that are differentiated by geography rather than sector or work status, such as the rural visa pilot or the Scottish visa.
Although our Scottish graduate visa proposal looked to extend the duration of the visa for two or three years for graduates in Scotland, the UK Government opted to reduce it. In a similar vein, we argued for the move-on period to be 56 days as a matter of permanency, but the UK Government has gone for 28 days. Any measures that get people through a system that fits the needs of Scotland sound good.
The labour force survey by the Office for National Statistics indicates that there are 63,000 unfilled vacancies in Scotland, particularly in the health and social care and hospitality sectors. The unemployment rate in Scotland is lower than the UK’s, and that is coupled with an ageing population. So, what steps is the Scottish Government taking to welcome people from other countries who decide to make Scotland their home? How would a separate Scottish immigration system address those issues and support our economy and our population’s health and wellbeing?
Population figures consistently show that Scotland’s population and its working-age population are growing only because of positive net migration. The move to end international recruitment of care workers will be devastating for the care sectors in Scotland and the UK.
Scotland needs talented and committed people from across the world to be able to work across all sectors of the community without excessive barriers, but the UK Government’s white paper proposed changes to the immigration system that will only make it harder. Migration policies should support mobility, collaboration and innovation and must suitably reflect the skills requirements of all of the UK.
We require a tailored approach to migration to meet our distinct challenges. I call again on the UK Government to work with us to deliver that.
When the Scottish Conservatives led a debate on hotels and housing asylum seekers, I said that discussions about illegal immigration—no matter how difficult—are important.
I also raised the horrific attack on a 15-year-old girl in Falkirk, in my region, who was raped by an asylum seeker who entered the UK illegally. Distrust in politicians, locally and nationally, is rising because they are choosing not to listen to the valid concerns of communities.
Today’s debate does not address questions about the pressures on public services that are fuelling division in our communities. Minister, what is your response to my constituents who are concerned about what happened in their community, and what additional protections—
Always speak through the chair. Minister.
As I have stated, we, in the chamber, all have a responsibility to use our leadership and our language very carefully and respectfully. Meghan Gallacher has raised that incident before, and I responded to it. I accept that it is an appalling situation.
At this point, I would like to share the stories of young Pakistani girls who are getting attacked and racially abused on their way to school, and of old-age pensioners who are now too frightened to go out in various communities. We need to be very careful not to pit communities against themselves but to use our platforms to bring people together.
As the minister has said, in recent months we have witnessed a deeply concerning rise in levels of divisive anti-migration rhetoric across the UK, largely driven by misinformation. The spread of that rhetoric is isolating, and it stigmatises vulnerable people who have come here in search of safety. What assurances can the minister provide that Scotland continues to be a welcoming nation for asylum seekers, and can she outline how the Scottish Government is working to counter that dreadful misinformation?
We are working with our partners, including the Scottish Refugee Council, local authorities and third sector partners, to challenge what is an increasingly stigmatising narrative and to find ways for communities to come together in respectful dialogue and shared understanding. We are also working with the Home Office to tackle the sources of misinformation and disinformation that perpetuate the harmful narratives.
I take this opportunity to make a point about the human condition. While none of us is perfect, unfortunately, and some people go into criminality, we must not divide or target people or blame entire communities for the actions of a few.
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