The
Geographer
Independence: Immigration
8-9
Spring 2014
Geography, Difference and the Question of Scale
Helen Packwood and Professor Allan Findlay FRSGS, University of St Andrews
Population growth in Scotland has
continued to increase over the
past decade and looks likely to
meet the Scottish Government’s
official population target, which
is to match average European
(EU15) growth from 2007 to 2017.
Population growth has long been
viewed as a key priority for the
devolved Scottish Government,
and at the core of its strategy for
economic growth in Scotland.
The latest population growth in
Scotland is slightly lower than the
EU15 average; however, for most
of the period since 2007 it has
exceeded this level. Scotland’s
population has grown by 3% since
2006-7, whereas the average across
the EU15 countries has been 2%.
Therefore Scotland seems on track
to meet its population target.
Immigration plays an important
role in maintaining this population
growth in Scotland, and the
Scottish Government sees
continued population inflows
as central to maintaining this
demographic growth. However,
Scotland still has a relatively small
immigrant population (c7% of
usual residents) compared with
other European (EU27) nations.
Figure 1 reveals the geography
of international migration to
Scotland. Poland emerges as the
most common non-UK country of
birth in Scotland, despite being
ranked 18th in 2001. As the most
populous of the ‘Accession 8’
countries, Poland has been the
biggest sender of East-Central
European migrants since the
enlargement of the European Union
in 2004. Polish migrants now form
15% of all foreign-born residents
living in Scotland.
In contrast to crude binary
comparisons between England
and Scotland, this article builds
on the work of McCollum et al
(CPC Briefing Paper 10 2013)
and argues that a more pertinent
comparison is to consider how
Scotland compares with English
regions. Figure 2 reveals the
quantity and origins of foreign-born
residents in the English regions and
in Scotland. It is quickly apparent
that, in terms of ‘distinctiveness’,
the outlier is not Scotland but
London. The proportion of nonUK born residents in Scotland is
similar to the English regions, with
the notable exception of London.
By asking
respondents, “If
you were not born
in the United
Kingdom, when did
you most recently
arrive to live here?”,
the 2011 Census
gives an interesting
snapshot of how
long migrants have
been resident in the
UK. Scotland has a
Figure 1: Top ten countries of birth for the non UK-born population in Scotland, 2011. Source: 2011 Census
larger proportion of
(ONS 2013).
recent international
migrants than
any of the English
regions. There is a
varied distribution
of recent migrants
to the UK, with
22% of Scotland’s
migrants arriving
within the last two
years (before the
2011 census); in
contrast, the West
Midlands, London,
and the South-East
of England have
seen a smaller
Figure 2: Country of birth of international migrants, Scotland and England by region, 2011. Source: Authors’
own analysis of 2011 Census (NRS 2013 and ONS 2013).
proportion of
recent migrants.
of England. Moreover, establishing
A further 22% of international
migration policies suited to
migrants in Scotland arrived within
the different needs of regional
less than five years prior to the
economies is a policy option
2011 census; again this marks
that has been taken up by some
a distinction with migration to
other parts of the UK. Based on
states such as Canada, and is an
this data, migration to Scotland
option open to the Scottish and
appears to be relatively transient,
UK governments regardless of the
with migrants settling for shorter
outcome of the 2014 referendum
periods than in England.
on Scottish independence.
Analysis of the age of migrants
In examining Scotland alongside
on arrival in the UK reveals an
regions within England, it is
interesting picture of the nature of
apparent that London has a much
new migrants. These figures point
more diverse population than
to where young migrant families
anywhere else in England. In fact,
are arriving in the UK. At 17%,
London stands in contrast to many
Scotland is among the top three
areas of the country, particularly
locations for migrants arriving aged
geographically ‘peripheral’ regions
0-4 years old. In contrast, just 9%
such as the South-West, the Northof London’s foreign-born population
East, and Scotland. The ‘London
arrived aged 0-4 years.
effect’ clearly has a bearing on the
This analysis has important policy
UK and English averages in relation
implications that impact on the
to most migration statistics,
current debate on constitutional
which underlines the importance
change. While it is possible to argue
of examining the data at a range
that current UK immigration policy
of s