Scotland's NHS would have struggled during pandemic without 'massive' contribution of migrant workers

The SNP's migration minister wants the Tories to halt their plans to block so-called "low-skilled" workers from being able to make Scotland their home.

Scotland's NHS would have struggled during the pandemic without the "massive" contribution made by workers from overseas, Holyrood's immigration minister has said.

Ben Macpherson has written to the UK Government urging them to recognise "the crucial importance" of migrants in delivering essential front-line services north of the Border.

The SNP MSP wants Home Secretary Priti Patel to halt planned immigration reforms as he claims they will cause long-term economic damage to Scotland.

Macpherson told the Record the tireless work by migrants in the health and care sectors during the coronavirus pandemic makes the case all the more urgent.

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"The contribution of people who have made Scotland their home has for some time been really important to our communities and our economy," he said.

"But the Covid-19 crisis has emphasised that in a stark way. In the NHS, people who have made Scotland their home have made a massive contribution, as they do in the care sector.

"Whether its nurses on the frontline or cleaners - who always do an important job, but especially during the current circumstances.

"It's particularly the case in the care sector. Migrants were fulfilling vacancies before the crisis and have played a huge role during it.

"In order to offer the social care provision that we all want to see in our society, migrants will continue to play a key role in that."

The UK Government’s controversial immigration bill was voted through the House of Commons last week despite claims that it will alienate many key workers who have risked their lives during the pandemic.

Labour accused Tory ministers of "hypocrisy” for closing the door on low-skilled immigration while cheering NHS workers.

Macpherson added: "I don't use the phrase low-skilled as its inaccurate and demeaning.

"The new immigration system envisaged by the UK Government is deeply worrying because it will stop us being able to staff our key sectors in the short term, and will hamper our economic growth in the medium term.

"In the longer-term, our demographic challenges are stark. We have a declining a birth-rate, which means all our working-age population growth has come migration.

"We need the UK Government to come up with immigration proposals that are going to meet the needs we have."

Macperhson added: "This crisis has shown migrants make a huge contribution not just to the economy, but to the enrichment of our society.

"There are some people - including some politicians - who have not appreciated the contribution of migrants in the past, but I think generally the public do.

"I think what this has show is sometimes the UK Government's perception of people's views on migration is not entwined with reality.

"The perception of migration offering a positive contribution is only going to be enhanced by this crisis."

Patel said last week the UK Government's new points-based system would "attract the people we need to drive our economy forward and lay the foundation for a high wage, high skill, high productivity economy.”