Nicola Sturgeon calls for devolved immigration policy post-brexit

Immigration policy should be devolved to UK nations and regions after Brexit to cater for different labour needs, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Speaking in London, she hit out at Theresa May’s government for a “frustrating” lack of openness to the idea.

She said it was time to follow the lead of some federalised nations and scrap the “one size fits all” approach to immigration.

Addressing News UK’s Scotland Means Business event in London, she warned Scotland risks a “disastrous” fall in its working population when Britain leaves the European Union.

Mrs Sturgeon (pictured) said: “Increasingly we see across business, across university across society much better support for Scotland having much more autonomy and flexibility around immigration.

“We hear the same arguments here in London and increasingly in other parts of the UK as well.

“Is it right any longer to have a ‘one-size fits all’ immigration policy for the whole UK when the demographic and labour needs of different parts of the UK vary quite considerably?”

In February the Scottish Government introduced a discussion document that set out the idea of regional immigration, arguing different parts of the UK have different workforce needs.

The Welsh Government and London mayor Sadiq Khan have also called for similar proposals.

However, Mrs Sturgeon added: “There is not much openness at the top to that at the moment and that is deeply frustrating.”

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