Scotland becoming less tolerant to immigration - Humza Yousaf

Yousaf said the 'toxicity' of the immigration debate had made its way to Scotland

Scotland is becoming less tolerant towards immigration, its former first minister claims.

Humza Yousaf said the "toxicity" of the debate around multiculturalism in England had made its way north of the border.

Yousaf, who became Scotland's first Asian and Muslim first minister in 2023, said "intolerance" had permeated both the public and political space.

He made the claims in BBC Radio 4 documentary Scotland Wants You, which examines whether Scotland's attitude to migrants is different to elsewhere in the UK.

It comes against the backdrop of an increasingly charged atmosphere around migration into the UK.

A wave of protests took place across the country, including in Scotland, outside asylum hotels during the summer, leading to several arrests.

Flags have also been raised on lampposts as a symbol of national identity as a result of campaigns on social media.

The SNP MSP said "genuine but misplaced" public concerns about immigration had been ignored by politicians.

Yousaf also said he particularly took issue with the phrase "we're all Jock Tamson's bairns".

The phrase, of disputed origin, is used to suggest a commonality between people of all creeds and races, a suggestion that people are all the same under the skin.

Yousaf admitted that he had used it in speeches himself but described it as a "very nice soundbite".

He said: "We use these soundbites to perhaps mask the fact that people have genuine concerns about immigration - but I would suggest misplaced concerns.

"I have to say, in recent months and over the past couple of years, it is a feeling that the toxicity of the debate around immigration and multiculturalism, has managed to find its way up here.

"Scotland, I'm afraid, of course is becoming more intolerant - both in the public space and frankly I've seen some of that intolerance in the political space too".

Research found that immigration has become one of Scots' top five concerns

Sarah Kyambi from Migration Policy Scotland has overseen research on Scottish attitudes for the past three years.

The think tank holds regular surveys on the issue, and it heard from more than 2,300 people across all of Scotland in February last year.

Ms Kyambi said Scottish attitudes towards immigration were "cooling" and warned Scotland was becoming "complacent" when it comes to the country's position on those arriving.

She said: "The idea that there is an inherent greater positivity amongst the Scottish policy towards immigration is likely to be mistaken.

"More people want to see the level of immigration reduced than they did last year or the year before.

"That cooling is from a point when we first started the survey - a point when the largest cohort in our survey wanted to see an increase in immigration, but now the level of support for immigration reduction is increasing".

Protesters outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Perth earlier this summer

In May, the Diffley Partnership and the David Hume Institute's Understanding Scotland Economy Tracker said immigration had entered the list of Scots' top five concerns for the first time.

National Records of Scotland figures released in August suggested the 0.7% growth in the country's population had been driven by those arriving from overseas.

A total of 76,100 of the 124,600 people who arrived to live in Scotland in the year up to mid-2024 came from overseas, according to the data.

Richard Tice, from Reform UK, said attitudes towards immigration were hardening because people were not feeling better off.

He told the documentary: "Scottish people are concerned by some of the impact of illegal immigration and too much legal immigration.

"People are questioning what they've been told by politicians. They're saying: I think you've got this wrong"

"If politicians tell the good voters that immigration is going to make everyone better off - then people get worse off - people start to ask quite rightly serious questions."

Scotland Wants You is on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds on Sunday at 13:30