Asylum seekers 'should be allowed to work' in Scotland

Almost three-quarters of Scots think people seeking asylum in Scotland should be allowed to work in the country, a new survey has found.

The Survation poll, commissioned by the Scottish Refugee Council, also found more than half of respondents believe the country should have its own immigration system, separate from the rest of the UK.

Sabir Zazai, the charity’s chief executive, welcomed the findings, which he said suggest Scots want things to be “done differently”.

The survey found 73% of Scots think people seeking asylum should be allowed to work to support themselves and their families.

Refugees are banned from working before they receive a positive decision on their claim for protection and must instead live on asylum support of around £5 per person per day.

This is a figure 52% of those surveyed said is too low.

Some 59% of those polled also said it would be better for Scotland to run its own asylum and immigration system. Immigration is currently reserved to Westminster.

Just over half of those polled think people seeking asylum should receive financial support in line with current rates of Universal Credit and 74% believe it is important to make refugees feel welcome in Scotland.

Mr Zazai said: “These findings show a desire in Scotland for things to be done differently.

“We have all been forced to reassess priorities recently and Covid-19 and Black Lives Matter mean we can no longer accept unfairness or inequality as inevitable.

“We are in a time of seismic change and as this poll shows, people are ready for a more fair and humane approach to refugee protection.”

The poll comes ahead of the United Nations World Refugee Day, which is marked internationally every year on June 20.

Survation polled more than 1,000 Scottish residents online from June 9-15.