EU CITIZENS in Scotland feel more welcome than those living in any other part of the UK and are likely to support Scottish independence, according to new data.
The Scottish research by campaign organisation the3million, which produced a UK-wide survey earlier this year, also found that EU citizens living in Scotland are more opposed to settled status than those elsewhere in the UK with more people refusing to apply out of principle.
Campaigners delivered the Experiences and Impact of the EU Settlement Scheme – Scotland to Ben Macpherson, the Scottish Government’s Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development, in Edinburgh on Friday.
They claim it is evidence that the clear rhetoric of welcome adopted by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the rest of the Scottish Government has been successful in making EU citizens living here feel valued.
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Three quarters of survey respondents stated a preference for one of the Scottish parties supportive of independence.
The UK-wide study had 3000 respondents, about 300 of whom were living in Scotland. Almost a quarter of respondents were originally from Germany, with France (15%) and the Netherlands (10%) making up the next largest groups. Professor Tanja Bueltmann, co-founder of the3million campaign, said the message of the UK data, which highlighted problems with the scheme, was “profoundly worrying”.
It showed EU citizens felt less welcome as a result with women are being asked to provide additional evidence more frequently than other groups.
“It has caused a real rupture and loss of sense of belonging. That will have consequences for communities more broadly,” she said.
But the Scottish data tells a different story. Beultmann added: “What is positive, however, is that EU citizens in Scotland, while also generally affected in the same way as all in the UK, feel welcome and more protected in Scotland.
“They know and value the interventions and support by the Scottish Government.
“The survey makes it very clear the EU citizens do not trust the UK Government, but EU citizens in Scotland do trust the Scottish Government.
“The difference lies in the fact that the UK one dispenses nice and warm words, but its actions tell a very different story. There is a mismatch here.
“In Scotland the government has done as much as is possible within the devolved powers to protect EU citizens. So this mismatch doesn’t exist in the same way – its words match actions.”
The Scottish Government has insisted that it values all EU citizens living in the country and called for immigration powers to be devolved so it can continue to increase immigration in response to the need.
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