Almost three quarters of Scots think people seeking asylum should be allowed to work, poll finds

Almost three quarters of Scots think people seeking asylum should be allowed to work, according to a new poll from Survation.

The survey, commissioned by the Scottish Refugee Council (SRC), found 73 per cent of respondents think people seeking asylum should be allowed to work to support themselves and their families.

The poll also found more than half of Scots believe the country should have its own immigration system, separate from the rest of the UK, and that 59 per cent also said it would be better for Scotland to run its own asylum and immigration system.

Survation found just over half of those polled think people seeking asylum should receive financial support in line with current rates of Universal Credit.

SRC chief executive Sabir 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.”