London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Immigration system 'not meeting' Scotland's needs

Immigration system 'not meeting' Scotland's needs

Scottish ministers have called for urgent action from the UK government on immigration as the system is "not meeting" the needs of Scotland.

Temporary working visas have been introduced for hauliers and poultry workers to tackle labour shortages.

However, Scottish External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said the measure does not help all UK sectors.

The UK's transport secretary said long term changes prevent sectors from standing "on their own two feet".

The UK government confirmed that 5,000 HGV drivers and 5,500 poultry workers will be eligible to work in the UK for three months, until Christmas Eve.

However Mr Robertson has written to Home Secretary Priti Patel saying: "The current immigration system is not meeting the needs of Scotland. At the moment it is not meeting the needs of sectors across the UK."

He called for an "immediate discussion" with the home secretary - and said the UK government "needs to urgently address the immigration challenges".

Mr Robertson wants Westminster to immediately introduce a 24-month temporary workers visa.

Mr Robertson has called for urgent talks with the home secretary

Worker shortages have been linked to both the coronavirus crisis and a lack of European labour after Brexit.

A shortage of lorry drivers has caused problems for a range of industries, from supermarkets to fast food chains.

In recent days, some fuel deliveries have been affected, leading to lengthy queues at petrol stations - despite ministers insisting the UK has plenty of fuel.

There are also concerns that Christmas shopping could be hindered without action.

Mr Robertson also said the shortage occupation list used for immigration must be reviewed - arguing that Scottish ministers should be given a formal role in determining what categories of workers are on this.

The UK government also has to reduce immigration fees, he said, claiming the costs involved in this were a barrier for both workers and employers.

Drivers queued at petrol stations on Friday, despite assurances of no fuel shortage

Industry body, Scotland Food & Drink, has accused the UK Government of using temporary visas "to fix bad headlines than fix the actual problem".

Chief executive, James Withers, said: "We have been calling for emergency visas for weeks, to avoid the collapse of some food supply chains.

"I seriously doubt that 10,000 three-month visas are going to cut it. It may help the driver situation a little but it won't address the chronic staff shortage in food production."

British workers 'undercut'


In addition to temporary visas, Ministry of Defence examiners will be used to help increase immediate HGV testing capacity by thousands.

Nearly one million letters will also be sent to all drivers who currently hold an HGV driving licence, encouraging them back into the industry.

And the UK Department for Education is investing up to £10m to create new "skills bootcamps" to train up to 3,000 more HGV drivers.

Appearing on BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show, UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he wanted to support British people, but also make sure they can "train up for work".

He said his government wanted to avoid "going back to what has consistently happened" - that British workers are "undercut" by foreign workers prepared to enter the UK for lower salaries.

"In the longer term [this] prevents us from having a sustainable UK haulage sector because it could never stand on its own two feet," he said.

Pressed on how public sector jobs have also been affected by Brexit, Mr Shapps argued there would be a potential workforce in the form of people coming off the furlough scheme who may be unemployed.

He said: "We're coming out of the coronavirus crisis where all of those millions of people were on furlough. Indeed this month 1.6 million are due to come off furlough and sadly not all will be going back to their old jobs.

"Economists tell us we're likely see influx of people out of work and looking for other jobs. Across sectors and in Scotland there is the opportunity for people to be retraining into other jobs."


Mr Shapps appeared on The Sunday Show to discuss problems as a result of labour shortages


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×