PURSUING a new migration policy and ending free movement in the middle of a health and economic crisis – as the UK Home Office is doing – has been described as “jaw-droppingly stupid” by an SNP front-bencher.

Stuart McDonald, the party’s spokesperson on Immigration, Asylum and Border Control, said it was the wrong direction for Scotland to be taking and forecast disaster for sectors which depend on migrant staff to survive.

He told The Sunday National: “The approach the Home Office is taking to blasting ahead with a completely new migration policy, the end of free movement right in the middle of an economic crisis is just jaw-droppingly stupid.

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“I think it’s fundamentally the wrong direction of travel for the UK as a whole, it’s completely and utterly the wrong direction of travel for Scotland at any time, but to do it now and not even contemplate postponing it for a period is just mind-blowing.

“It is going to be a disaster for all sorts of sectors, like social care, like tourism and hospitality, food and drink and agriculture.”

McDonald said the Government’s attitude seemed to be that those who lost their jobs through Covid would be able to fill vacancies in the affected sectors, but said that was “wholly unrealistic” and added: “It’s living in cloud cuckoo land.”

His remarks came as a senior immigration lawyer told this newspaper Priti Patel’s policies had been killing the economy and were now “killing human beings”.

Usman Aslam said: “We have to be very concerned at the Secretary of State’s policies on immigration.

“The policies have and will continue to place a dent on our economy, and take away any dignity of those fleeing persecution.

“It is not just killing the economy, it is now killing human beings, and we should not ignore this.”

He also criticised the Government’s “obsession” with a points-based system (PBS) of immigration, saying it was regrettable it had to resort to copying another country’s model rather than tailoring one for our own country.

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“There is, in my opinion, a misguided view that the new system is better,” said Aslam, from Rea Law Solicitors in Glasgow.

“There are only a few minor changes that appear better ... There was a better system in place; we call that free movement.

“It encouraged those who wanted to come and add value to areas where there was a gap in employment.

“The NHS is a good example of where Europeans could enter and work. Now, employers will have to pay a number of excessive fees for sponsorship and other ludicrous amounts ... Scotland should not suffer because of the Tories’ inability to look beyond themselves.”

Charities too were withering in their criticism of Patel’s policies. The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) said her approach was callous and careless.

Minnie Rahman, their campaign’s and public affairs officer, said: “The callousness is driven by the Government’s obsession with appeasing right-wing xenophobes, and sees Britain expend huge energy on keeping out desperate people crossing the Channel in dinghies. The carelessness pervades Home Office systems and decisions and has been sharply criticised in the Windrush Lessons Learned Review and countless other reports.”

She said the Government’s hostile environment had to go and more safe, legal routes to immigration had to be introduced.

Nazek Ramadan, director of Migrant Voice, said the deaths of an entire Iranian family in a dinghy in the Channel should shame us all.

However, she added: “Instead, we see continued talk about arresting smugglers and turning back boats, while those who reach the UK are detained in utterly inhumane conditions, likely in an attempt to deter crossings – these are neither logical nor moral responses.”

The Home Office conceded that the asylum system was “broken” but they were “fixing” it to make it fair.

A spokesperson added: “We will seek to stop abuse of the system while ensuring it is compassionate towards those who need our help, welcoming people through safe and legal routes.

“Our new points based immigration system is based on what people have to offer, rather than where their passport is issued. We want global talent to benefit the whole of the UK by complementing the skills we already have, providing they have a job offer at the appropriate skill level, speak English and meet the salary threshold.

“As we look to the future, we must be realistic about the effect coronavirus has had and focus on those people already in the UK, upskilling our current workforce rather than relying on cheap labour from abroad.”