London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

Nicola Sturgeon calls for Scotland to have own immigration powers

Nicola Sturgeon calls for Scotland to have own immigration powers

First minister says country needs strategy to tackle falling birth rate and Brexit impact
Nicola Sturgeon has called for Scotland to have its own visa and immigration strategy to deal with the country’s falling birth rate and the impacts of Brexit.

The first minister urged the UK government to start talks on devolving migration powers to the Scottish parliament, to allow it to introduce a flexible “Scottish visa” without the tight restrictions in force across the rest of the UK.

Holyrood would scrap the hefty application fees, salary threshold and employer sponsorship required by the Home Office, she said. This regional model is already used by Canadian provinces and Australian states.

Sturgeon said the prime minister should accept the need for a more flexible immigration system tailored to meet Scotland’s particular needs during his government’s review of the post-Brexit immigration system.

The UK government announced on Monday it would launch a fast-track visa system for talented scientists on 20 February, amid widespread concern that the UK’s research capacity will be hit by Brexit.

Sturgeon said ending free movement from within the EU would harm the UK as a whole but would be “uniquely” damaging for Scotland’s economy and public services, because it is particularly vulnerable to population decline.

“A common UK-wide approach to immigration simply hasn’t worked in Scotland’s interests for some time now. Brexit will undoubtedly exacerbate what was already a significant challenge,” she said.

The Scottish government would be the sole sponsor of applicants for a Scottish visa and would screen applications. It would then recommend people to the Home Office, which would undertake final security and identity checks, and could refuse entry if applicants failed those tests.

Applicants for a Scottish visa would need to get a Scottish income tax code from HM Revenue and Customs to prove they were resident in Scotland, and that visa would lapse if they left for any other part of the UK.

Sturgeon said Scotland was facing a population crisis because its falling birth rate and ageing population left its economy and public services heavily dependent on migration, both from within the UK and from overseas.

Population forecasts showed Scotland’s pensioners would grow from 19% of the population in 2018 to 23% in 2043, while the working-age population would fall from 64% to 62%, and the number of children drop from 17% to 15%.

Scotland’s population would shrink over that period, while increasing by 9% for the UK as a whole by 2043.

Rural depopulation in remote parts of Scotland would also accelerate, with the working-age populations projected to fall by 33% in sparsely populated areas. To tackle that issue, the UK government should also implement its promise to trial a visa targeted at rural areas, she added.

The proposed Scottish visa was welcomed in principle by Scottish Labour, Universities Scotland, which represents the higher education sector, the industry body Food and Drink Scotland, and immigration campaigners.

While Sturgeon said the Scottish approach would be liberal and flexible, the policy paper she released on Monday, Migration: Helping Scotland Prosper, said there was likely to be a cap or limit to the number of migrants allowed into Scotland.

The paper said that limit would be negotiated with the UK government, as long as it did not involve an arbitrary cap set by UK ministers for political reasons.

The document said other changes were possible, including a regional approach across the UK that allowed some adaptations for local needs which would initially have a lower cap or quota.

Sturgeon said it was too early to be specific on the numbers involved but said it should reflect the needs of specific industries, such as tourism and catering, or rural areas experiencing depopulation. “In principle, the system should be as open and as flexible as possible,” she said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
×