Fishing is among several Scottish industries which are "suffering" from a lack of workers despite Rishi Sunak saying immigration is "too high".
Net migration to the UK hit a new record high of 606,000 last year, according to estimates by the Office for National Statistics. It is up from 488,000 in 2021.
The figure is the difference between the number of people moving to the UK and the number leaving.
Prime Minister Sunak said the number was "too high". He has promised to reduce immigration as he is under pressure from right-wing Tories.
This is despite several key Scottish industries being understaffed. Fishing, the health service, the care sector, fishing, engineering and software developing are among several sectors on the UK Government's shortage occupation list.
The Government admitted that the fishing sector needs more workers by adding it to the list earlier this week. Workers applying for jobs in the industry now pay less visa fees and the salary requirement to obtain a visa has been reduced.
The SNP said that Scotland's industries are "suffering" because of Tory migration policies.
The party's home affairs spokesperson Alison Thewliss said: "The Westminster obsession with net migration figures, masks the fact the UK government is failing to attract the talent we need in key sectors to boost our economy and NHS - showing why Scotland needs the full powers of independence and control over migration.
"Key sectors of Scotland's industries are suffering as a direct consequence of Tory and Labour Brexit and hostile migration policies, including fishing, agriculture, and the NHS. Westminster control is leaving us all poorer as these damaging policies make the cost of living crisis worse, harm the economy and hit public services.
"The SNP is the only party offering a real alternative. It's essential that Scotland escapes the damage of Brexit and Westminster control with independence, so we can finally deliver a tailored migration system that makes us wealthier and healthier by meeting the needs of Scotland's economy, NHS and communities."
The increase in migration was driven by people from non-EU countries arriving for work, study and humanitarian reasons.
A total of 1.2 million people are likely to have migrated to the UK in 2022, while 557,000 are estimated to have migrated from the UK in the same period.
Sunak told ITV’s This Morning: “Numbers are too high, it’s as simple as that. And I want to bring them down.”
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