Responding to the publication of the Scottish Government’s paper Migration: Helping Scotland Prosper, the Director of Universities Scotland, Alastair Sim said:
“The attraction of talent to Scotland is central to our nation’s success, and the success of our universities.
“We welcome this thoughtful contribution from the Scottish Government on how migration can and does contribute to Scotland’s success. We strongly affirm its emphasis on Scotland being a welcoming country for people who want to share their talents with us. We are pleased to see mention of the unnecessary administrative burdens currently placed on our members as well as what could be achieved with the reintroduction of the post-study work visa.
“Our universities have always been international and open to talent of all backgrounds. There are personal and societal benefits to bringing international student and staff talent into higher education, including how this enhances home students’ experience and contributes to the wider community.
“We hope the UK Government will give this paper serious consideration and reflect on what actions it can take in its immigration policy to allow Scotland’s universities to draw international talent to our nation.”