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MPS is building insight infrastructure on migration in Scotland: a source of regularly updated evidence and briefings for policymakers, practitioners and business, monitoring the aspects of migration most relevant to Scotland.
MPS is building insight infrastructure on migration in Scotland which will provide a source of regularly updated evidence and briefings for policymakers, practitioners and business. These will monitor and track statistical evidence with a focus on the aspects of migration of most interest and relevance to Scotland.
Understanding what people think about immigration and how that changes over time is an important part of understanding how to respond to immigration. Migration Policy Scotland has built significant new insight infrastructure to do just that.
Our annual representative survey tracks attitudes to provide more detailed insight into what people across Scotland think about immigration. The survey data allow us to explore how views and experiences differ between social groups and in different parts of Scotland. It shows peoples’ preferences regarding differing types of immigration and different policy options. This helps inform policy choices and debates.
The MPS Attitudes to Immigration in Scotland survey was first piloted in 2023. The survey sample is representative of Scotland’s population and covers all Scottish Parliamentary regions. Since 2024 the MPS Attitudes to Immigration Survey has been included in the Understanding Scotland series administered through the ScotPulse panel at Diffley Partnership.
MPS reports on our annual Attitudes to Immigration in Scotland Survey receive high levels of media attention. The findings are frequently cited by commentators and drawn on by a wide range of stakeholders. Our networks mean the insights feed directly into government at the highest levels. We hold closed convenings on the data and their implications with various stakeholders (including politicians and journalists) to increase awareness of the surveys’ findings and build understanding of how such evidence should be used.
The survey is a key building block in our mission to promote an evidence-led approach to immigration. The survey data will be archived within the UK data archive in 2026 making it accessible to a wider range of researchers. The survey is currently funded to be repeated annually until 2027.
MPS ongoing and planned projects investigating how we can better support community cohesion and how we can build resilience to extremism rely on the survey to provide a baseline of quantitative data.
“The MPS Attitudes to immigration in Scotland Survey is transforming the evidence base, providing the high-quality, representative and regularly updated attitudinal data that has been missing. Plans to grow this dataset over the coming years will develop an important new resource for researchers that complements existing attitudinal datasets and extends research opportunities. The survey provides crucial insight infrastructure to inform and support the work of a wide range of stakeholders including policymakers, politicians, campaigners, and business. MPS analytical reports on the survey are rigorous, balanced and highly accessible They are already demonstrating the capacity to generate and shape media coverage on migration in ways that are urgently needed to improve public debate and policy thinking.”
– Professor Bobby Duffy, King’s College London
June 2024
You can access the reports here:
Kyambi and Kay (2025) Attitudes to Immigration in Scotland: Changing, complex, contradictory
Kyambi and Kay (2024) Attitudes to Immigration in Scotland: Cautious Pragmatism?
Kyambi and Kay (2023) Attitudes to Immigration: A View from Scotland
MPS Attitudes to Immigration Survey frames Holyrood election debate on immigration, April 2026
MPS Director Sarah Kyambi and pollster Mark Diffley discuss immigration issues in the Scottish Parliamentary elections 2026, Good Morning Scotland, 29 April 2026
MPS Director Sarah Kyambi interviewed on BBC as part of the coverage on the Scottish Parliamentary elections 2026. The Sunday Show BBC Scotland, 26th April 2026
Scotland Wants You, BBC Radio 4, 24 September 2025
MPS Attitudes to Immigration Survey data proves the backdrop to this BBC documentary on changing Scottish views featuring Humza Yousaf, Richard Tice, with MPS Director Sarah Kyambi providing contextual comment.
This episode Scotland Wants You has Nick Eardley exploring: “the often contradictory narratives and perspectives surrounding immigration in Scotland. His journey will uncover whether Scotland’s reputation for openness aligns with current attitudes, or if this image masks deeper ambivalences – does the old Scottish adage, about inclusivity – “We’re all Jock Tamson’s bairns,” still reflect the country today?”
Holyrood Magazine: A Qualified Welcome: Are Attitudes changing? 12 December 2025
Holyrood Magazine feature draws extensively on MPS’ attitudinal data to discuss changing attitudes and politics. Chris Marshall writes:
“Migration Policy Scotland’s polling shows that while attitudes towards immigration may be cooling, Scots are generally positive about those who come here to work. The majority continue to support employers recruiting from overseas to fill vacancies (56 per cent), a figure which rises to 76 per cent for sectors facing shortages such as health and social care.
“A lot of the coverage has been on small boats and asylum hotels,” says Kyambi. “When you look at migration for work, we see very high levels of support for all the work visas – 70 per cent and above. We see very high levels of support for employers recruiting overseas.
“Our politics tries to make something that is really very complicated oversimple and creates an uglier debate around something where people’s views are really much more nuanced and balanced. Scotland needs migration in terms of its economy and its demographics and therefore needs to make a good job of integrating migrants.”
The Times, May 13, 2024
Immigration is vital for Scotland to flourish in the future (Comment piece by Sarah Kyambi)
Contrary to Conservative talking points many people would be happy to welcome more migrants who come to work
Now, more than ever, is the time to embrace with greater ambitionthe role immigration must playi our economy and society to build a future where we all can flourish.
The Times, May 13, 2024
Scots cool on immigration as 4 in 10 want numbers cut
People in Scotland are still more pro-immigration that those south of the border but attitudes are changing, according to a survey
The National, May 13, 2024
Most Scots want more to see more skilled immigrants coming to Scotland
Dr Sarah Kyambi, the director of Migration Policy Scotland, said: “The socio-economic and demographic challenges facing Scotland are immense, and migration will play an important role in meeting these. Our research suggests that the Scottish public wish to see a pragmatic response to these real-world challenges at a time when our politics and policymaking is implementing an ever-more restrictive regime. This risks squandering the opportunity for more rational, evidence-driven consideration of migration policy in favour of inflaming division.”
While Professor Bobby Duffy, a director at the Policy Institute, added: “This survey shows the Scottish public are nowhere near as negative or exercised about immigration as the rhetoric often suggests, which is a pattern we see repeated in UK-wide surveys. That’s not to say that people see no downsides or don’t want more control – but more see the benefits and need for immigration, particularly to support the economy”
Business Insider, May 13, 2024
Most Scots believe employers should be able to recruit from abroad
The majority of people in Scotland believe employers should be able to recruit from abroad to fill vacancies, suggesting a “pragmatic” approach to migration. The Migration Policy Scotland Attitudes to Immigration Survey found support for migration has “cooled”, with 42% of those questioned supporting a reduction in the number of immigrants coming to Scotland, up from 28% in last year’s survey.
However, the research found widespread acceptance of the need for employers to recruit from abroad and strong agreement that immigration helps to fill jobs for which it is hard to find workers nationally and locally.
Yahoo News, May 13, 2024
Scots want more skilled people coming to Scotland from overseas, poll says
Ireland Live, May 13, 2024
Most Scots want to see more skilled immigrants arriving, poll suggests
Scottish Daily Express, May 13, 2024
Scots want less migrants in Scotland in shattering blow to SNP’s Scexit claims
The Times, 14 May 2024
Universities ‘will be hit hard’ by new UK migration rules
Below is a summary of the coverage including an interview with MPS Director Sarah Kyambi on BBC Radio Good Morning Scotland. You can access the 2023 report here.
Good Morning Scotland (BBC) – [Radio interview with Sarah Kyambi]
September 14, 2023
The latest news from home and abroad, along with sport, travel and weather updates.
The Times – [Opinion piece by Sarah Kyambi]
A welcome change in immigration attitudes
September 14, 2023
The Migration Policy Scotland Attitudes survey asked 1,162 adults across Scotland their views on immigration. This is the first representative survey of attitudes to immigration in the country for nearly a decade. The findings are startling: with the largest group (38 per cent) in favour of increasing migration and only 28 per cent calling for a reduction. This reverses 2014 figures where 58 per cent wanted to see immigration to Scotland reduced. There is much to tease out within the new data to understand more fully what people think, let alone why they think it, and a need for longer-term tracking of Scottish public opinion on this topic.
The Herald
Poll: Two-fifths of Scots want to see an increase in immigration
September 14, 2023
Scots are “broadly comfortable” with migration and almost three-fifths believe it has a positive impact on the country, a survey has found. The poll, which is the first study of attitudes to immigration in Scotland since 2014, also found a minority view the issue in a “more negative way”. The research for Migration Policy Scotland, conducted by Diffley Partnership, found while 59% describe immigration as positive, 18% feel it has had a negative effect, while 23% are unsure.
STV News
Almost two-fifths Scots want to see immigration increased, poll finds
September 14, 2023
Scots are “broadly comfortable” with migration and almost three-fifths believe it has a positive impact on the country, a survey has found. The poll, which is the first study of attitudes to immigration in Scotland since 2014, also found a minority view the issue in a “more negative way”. The research for Migration Policy Scotland, conducted by Diffley Partnership, found while 59% describe immigration as positive, 18% feel it has had a negative effect, while 23% are unsure.
The Times
Scots are changing their views on immigration
September 14, 2023
Scots have changed their views on immigration with opposition to newcomers falling by almost 50 per cent in a decade, a survey shows. According to the report published today by Migration Policy Scotland only 28 per cent of respondents wanted lower immigration levels compared with 58 per cent in 2014.
The National
Majority of Scots view immigration as positive, poll finds
September 14, 2023
SCOTTISH people are “broadly comfortable” with migration and almost three-fifths believe it has a positive impact on the country, a survey has found. The poll, which is the first study of attitudes to immigration in Scotland since 2014, also found a minority view the issue in a “more negative way”. The research for Migration Policy Scotland, conducted by Diffley Partnership, found while 59% describe immigration as positive, 18% feel it has had a negative effect, while 23% are unsure.
Glasgow Times
Two-fifths of Scots want to see an increase in immigration
September 14, 2023
The poll, which is the first study of attitudes to immigration in Scotland since 2014, also found a minority view the issue in a “more negative way”. The research for Migration Policy Scotland, conducted by Diffley Partnership, found while 59% describe immigration as positive, 18% feel it has had a negative effect, while 23% are unsure.
Holyrood
Government makes fresh call for immigration controls as census confirms ageing population
September 14, 2023
It comes after a report from Migration Policy Scotland, which was carried out by Diffley Partnership at the beginning of this year, showed that Scottish attitudes to migration are changing, with 28 per cent of respondents saying they want lower immigration levels compared with 58 per cent in 2014.
The annual Attitudes to Immigration in Scotland survey is the flagship of this infrastructure. Read the latest report (2026), or explore previous editions: 2025, 2024 and 2023.
A series of briefings will follow in October and November: