ANAS Sarwar has claimed he is holding talks with the UK Government on a bespoke Scottish visa scheme – on the same day the UK Government twice ruled it out.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn took aim at Sarwar after the claim appeared in the press, quipping that the UK Labour party “probably forgot to tell him” they had dismissed the idea.
The Scottish Labour leader, in an interview with The House magazine, had said he was in direct talks with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper about a bespoke Scottish immigration policy.
“I’ve had a number of conversations with Yvette Cooper and UK colleagues in the run-up to the election and since the election,” Sarwar said.
“They already want to reform the Migration Advisory Committee to make sure there is proper Scottish representation. They recognise there are different migration needs in different parts of the country.
“How do you have an immigration system that respects a single Border Agency, that respects a single immigration system, but also recognises the different demographics and different challenges in different parts of the country? That’s what we’d like to see in terms of reforming the Migration Advisory Committee."
Sarwar further pointed to the Fresh Talent scheme, brought in in 2005 by Tony Blair’s government, which offered two-year visas to graduates of Scottish universities.
“Through co-operation rather than conflict, these are all models we can look at again in the future,” he told The House in what was reported as a “hint”.
However, the Scottish Labour MSP was quickly called out by the SNP’s Flynn.
Sharing Sarwar’s comments, the SNP MP wrote: “Btw, the Labour Party in London ruled this out today.
“Probably forgot to tell him.”
"Probably forgot who he was," SNP MSP James Dornan quipped in response.
Flynn then shared a response to his fellow SNP MP Pete Wishart from Migration Minister Seema Malhotra.
Wishart asked: “Last week, the Scottish Parliament passed a motion calling for action on immigration to address the needs of Scotland’s employers, communities and public services, with a particular reference to rural visa pilots.
“As the Secretary of State knows, every sector in Scotland is crying out for Scottish solutions to distinct Scottish issues and problems. What is her response to that democratically passed motion other than not being interested?”
And Malhotra replied: “The honourable member will know that we will not be introducing a Scottish visa scheme or devolving control of immigration policy.
“He will also know that the Migration Advisory Committee has found that labour market needs are similar across the UK. It continues to engage at length with many UK stakeholders, including from Scotland.”
The response came on the same day as the Home Office also issued a statement, in response to a similar query from The National about the Holyrood vote for action on a bespoke Scottish visa scheme.
The Home Office made clear it was “not considering this policy”.
The UK Government also denied it was looking at the policy after reports last October.
