MPS Programme 2023-26
Our second 3-year programme outlines our vision, approach and priorities for 2023-26. Our programme is developed in consultation with key stakeholders, harnessing insights from lived and learned experience to ensure our work is grounded in realities of migration in Scotland.
Tackling rural depopulation
Multi-level policy responses to rural depopulation are increasingly central to debates on population change, ageing, and regional inequality. Rural depopulation affects many countries across Europe and beyond, raising concerns about economic sustainability, access to services, and the long-term viability of rural communities. This think piece examines how policy responses are shaped by governance structures operating […]
Multi-Level Responses to Rural Depopulation
Rural depopulation is a significant contemporary challenge facing many countries across Europe and the Global North, and Scotland is no exception. Long-term population decline in rural and remote areas raises concerns about economic sustainability, access to services, labour supply, and community resilience. As a result, rural depopulation has become a growing focus of public debate […]
Attitudes to Immigration: A view from Scotland
Migration Policy Scotland research finds Scottish attitudes to immigration have warmed considerably. This is the first representative survey of attitudes to immigration since 2014. The report details the findings of an online survey carried out through Diffley Partnership’s Scotpulse panel between 17-19 January 2023 gathering the views of 1,162 adults across all 8 Scottish Parliamentary […]
Perspectives: Learning internationally about multi-level policy responses to rural depopulation and the challenges of effective evaluation.
Blog by Hana Davis, MPS Research Assistant Rural depopulation is a challenge of international significance, facing not only Scotland but countries across Europe and the Global North. Although Scotland’s population as a whole is expected to grow over the next 10 years, rural areas across the Islands and the West are facing depopulation as younger […]
BBC Scotland: Radio Interview, 1 September 2022
MPS Senior Researcher Rebecca Kay discusses migration’s role in facing Scotland’s predicted population challenges. BBC Scotland: Gary Robertson and Laura Maxwell interview Prof. Mairi Spowage (Director, Fraser of Allander Institute) and MPS Senior Researcher Prof. Rebecca Kay (Chair, Migration and Population Expert Advisory Group), on the forecast decline of Scotland’s population and what can be […]
Scotland’s Migration Futures
This edited collection on Scotland’s migration futures brings together leading experts to explore what lies ahead for migration and mobility in Scotland. Contributors assess how demographic change, economic pressures, political developments and constitutional debates are likely to shape future migration patterns, as well as how these dynamics could affect Scotland’s labour market, public services and […]