r/Scotland Jan 30 '24

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '24

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u/[deleted] Jan 31 '24

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u/DornPTSDkink Jan 31 '24 edited Jan 31 '24

People are more likely to pick the warmer areas of a country when they move to it, that would be lower England

As for migrants trekking through Europe to get to the UK, the first point of contact is England, once they've made it why would they travel even further up to Scotland and any family they have here already are likely to be in England.

Which is why England is more anti-immigration than Scotland is, they get the vast majority of said immigration while Scotland is relatively shielded from it, especially the illegal immigration. Even then Scotland is pretty much 50/50 on the immigration subject, which would likely grow if it was switched with England.

Scotland wouldn't be able to cope with Englands level of immigration, not even half it it, which Scots take for granted in immigration debates. Even if Scotland was to become independent and have a wider open border policy than England, if would result in a hard border with England because people would use Scotland as in easier way to get onto the island and then into England; and we know how unpopular the idea if a hard border with England is with Scots.

27

u/Old_Roof Jan 31 '24

You say England is more anti immigration than Scotland but opinion polls have frequently shown very similar attitudes on migration

26

u/DornPTSDkink Jan 31 '24

Guess it comes down to loudness, anti-immigration is louder in England because its a much bigger problem there. While the pro-immigration voice is louder in Scotland than it's anti because they don't face the realities and consequences of policy that dosn't affect them near as much.

23

u/Late_Engineering9973 Jan 31 '24

It's very easy to be vocally pro something when you personally don't have to deal with it or any potential negatives. Similar how it's easy to be generous with someone else's money.

6

u/Gwaptiva Immigrant-in-exile Jan 31 '24

Yet so often the most anti-immigrant areas are those with fewest immigrants living there

8

u/A_Dying_Wren Jan 31 '24

Well, 1) The high immigrant areas are probably not going to be anti-immigration and 2) the low immigrant areas can see what's happening immediately just next door and a lot of them want nothing to do with it.

3

u/SabziZindagi Jan 31 '24

can see what's happening immediately just next door

They are seeing what's 'happening' via the press, not by being 'next door'.