IT’S hard to know where to begin with Jim Stewart’s letter addressing migration (Letters, January 16). He cites evidence of access to public services, healthcare and use of land as being against working-class interests, and correlates this to an increase in population. This is a woeful place to start. Scotland is all the richer for having people pay us the compliment of making their home here.

Mr Stewart might instead point his ire to the punishing austerity agenda which has crushed public-service budgets – and the centuries of unproductive land and concentrated ownership that exists in Scotland. I do not accept the economic and social problems of our time are caused by immigrants. They are often its suffering victims, like other working-class people, at the hands and whims of exploitative employers and greedy landlords.

While canvassing regularly during the referendum on independence, I came across many who believed there were too many migrants in Scotland. There were concerns about housing, low-paying jobs and access to public services. A conversation on the doorsteps often illuminated where power and the purse lay over such policy – Westminster. Many opened their minds to a better future there and then, rather than blaming the largely blameless.

Scottish public policy is markedly different than the naked xenophobia from the UK Government. The First Minister has strongly defended migration in her recent interventions (EU citizens deliver £4.4bn a year to Scotland’s economy, The National, January 16), but has done so almost exclusively in the domain of economics. Overall, this is a valid approach, but is incomplete.

Migration is a great gift to Scotland – culturally, socially and on a human level. The act of leaving your homeland in search of a better life is a noble one and demands extraordinary courage. Conversely, Scotland is a nation of migrants who have spread across the globe to chase their dreams. We have gifted the world our labour, our genius and have received plenty back. We should greatly welcome an increase in migration, and to apply our aforementioned genius to creating welcoming communities for all – and to recognise our common creed as workers and humankind.

In this vein, the Edinburgh People’s Festival will theme their own Burns Supper “You’re Welcome Willie Stewart” on Portobello Beach from 7pm on January 28. They will put on a show – weather permitting – to welcome migrants to Scotland and celebrate their unique contribution to Scottish society, through music, entertainment, comedy and a very special light show.

Jim Stewart, please come along – “The bowl we maun renew it”.

Scott Macdonald
Scottish Socialist Party

I HAD to rub my eyes when I read Jim Stewart’s letter today suggesting that Scotland’s population had “surged” to 5.4 million. Were it not for the fact that Scotland is presently home to around 650,000 immigrants (and nearly 500,000 from England, most of them retired) our population would actually have significantly dropped. We have steadily been losing lots of our best people for more than 60 years, which is an automatic result of decision-making and power being mostly elsewhere.

The facts are stark. In 1910 Scotland had around five million people and England had 26 million. Scotland now has just over five million people and England has 56 million people. Over the same period New Zealand’s population has quadrupled, Norway’s has trebled and Sweden and Denmark’s have doubled. A look at Ireland is illustrating. In 1925 Scotland’s population, having lost 125,000 men (most of them potentially fathers) in World War One, was just under five million while the island of Ireland’s was just above three million. Ireland now is bigger than Scotland at more than six million.

We have no time. We are probably the only developed nation losing population. We cannot afford not to be independent.

Dave McEwan Hill
Sandbank, Argyll

THIS nonsense from Jim Stewart only serves to show how ingrained propaganda about immigration is. Yes, Scotland’s population is the highest it’s been, like nearly every other country in the world. But our growth has been much slower. It is only in the last few years that Scotland’s population has recovered to the level it was at 35 years ago. The population had grown about 3.5 per cent in that time, one of the lowest growth rates in the world. By contrast the population of England has grown 37 per cent over the same period. All the “problems” he mentions are not the result of population growth.

Population growth and levels of immigration are far higher south of the Border and it is that, along with the right-wing press, which drives the anti-EU agenda in England.

By all means debate immigration and the role of the EU, but it has to be done in a solely Scottish context.

Kenneth McNeil
via thenational.scot

IN yesterday’s National, Nicola Sturgeon rightly points to the importance of continued immigration for Scotland’s economic future.

The 219,000 EU citizens (4.1 per cent of the population) contribute about £4.4 billion a year to the economy.

It is interesting that Scotland’s nearest neighbour, Norway, with almost exactly the same population, is in a similar position if not more so.

Here we have 329,000 EU citizens (6.9 per cent of the population) and a further 217,000 (4.1 per cent) persons with a refugee background. If any country is dependent on immigration it must be Norway.

Without it the construction, catering and tourism trades and Oslo’s public transport would come to a complete standstill.

Like Norway, Scotland should be thankful for its immigrants.

Mike Fergus
Oslo, Norway