Scotland needs a devolved immigration system to protect the interests of research post-Brexit, the nation’s science and higher education minister has told Research Fortnight.
Richard Lochhead (pictured) said UK government proposals—including the introduction of a £30,000 salary threshold for skilled migrants—are “utterly shambolic and chaotic” and ignore the reality on the ground at universities.
Scottish academia is highly reliant on European Union nationals to fill research roles. Concern has been growing that it could be particularly hard-hit by Brexit, not least as the UK government is proposing to allow EU students a three-year leave to remain in the event of a no-deal Brexit, when Scottish degrees typically last for four years.
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