Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed the Scottish Government’s stance on immigration would risk the country’s security.
Writing in the Daily Mail ahead of the Scottish Conservative conference in Edinburgh, Mrs Badenoch said the SNP’s position “is not remotely serious”.
The Scottish Government is much more liberal than both the UK Labour Government and the Tories on immigration, repeatedly calling for more people to be allowed to come to Scotland, but Holyrood does not have the powers to make changes.
Ministers have pushed for a shift in the system on a number of occasions, going so far as to propose a separate Scottish visa in 2020 under Nicola Sturgeon – a pitch which was quickly rejected by the Conservative-led government of the time.
Mrs Badenoch wrote: “We need a new, sustainable system that only admits a strict number of people who come here legally, do the right thing, and who contribute to society.
“That means we must introduce a strict numerical cap on legal migration, ensure there is zero-tolerance for foreign criminals, and pass the Deportation Bill to remove those who should not be here.
“The left-wing parties at Holyrood – not just the SNP, but also Labour and the Lib Dems – don’t believe tougher action is necessary.
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“On immigration, those parties have policies student politicians would be ashamed of.
“The SNP’s stance, in particular, is not remotely serious.
“If they ever got their way, they would put our citizens’ security at risk. It’s the nationalists’ view that we should just throw open our borders, without any checks or limitations on who comes into the country.”
The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.
