In a speech in Glasgow today (Wednesday, 22 January) First Minister John Swinney spoke to his aspiration to work with the UK Government to develop migration policy that would help to support Scotland’s future workforce and population needs, thereby boosting economic prosperity.
The outline policy proposal sees Scotland-specific dimensions to the retention of highly skilled international students who come here to study.
The proposal was part of a wider speech which reflected on Brexit and Scotland’s economy more broadly.
The First Minister set out the population challenges Scotland faces with the number of people aged over 65 projected to grow by nearly a third by the middle of 2045 while at the same time, the number of children is projected to fall by nearly a fifth. Well-managed and nation-specific migration policy could be an effective way to address Scotland’s challenges.
Commenting on this, Sir Paul Grice, Universities Scotland Convener said;
“Scotland’s projected population and demographic trends for the next two generations bring major economic and societal challenges, far more significantly than other parts of the UK. As such, it would be enormously helpful if a policy space could be created between Governments to consider greater regional variation of migration within an overall UK framework.
“Inward migration will be essential to Scotland’s future and there is a really positive opportunity for Scotland’s universities, as magnets for the attraction and retention of highly-skilled people, to help deliver this as a win-win for the sector and Scotland as a whole. There is a lot to like in this outline proposal, which would need careful evolution between the Scottish and UK Governments. We are hopeful that this will progress in a meaningful way.”
Scotland’s universities are world-leading and attract highly-skilled talent from across the globe, benefitting Scotland’s economy. Since 2019, international students have contributed between £4-6 billion to Scotland’s economy.