The third wave of Migration Policy Scotland’s annual representative survey provides a detailed picture of how views are evolving. This attitudinal survey series provides policymakers and others with evidence that supports better informed choices in a complex and heated context.
Key Findings:
- Scottish public attitudes to immigration have cooled considerably over the last 3 years, most notably in the period from 2023 to 2024. As views on immigration change, they remain complex and often contradictory.
- Immigration for work and employers’ ability to recruit from abroad receives some of the strongest public support. This is accompanied by low levels of concern about contribute to skills development within the native workforce.
- While UK government proposals align with the overall preference for a reduction in immigration levels, specific immigration policy proposals do not align well with public preferences. Our data shows little support for closures, restrictions and exclusions relating to the health and social care worker visa, the graduate visa, access to settlement and entitlements to social security.
The report can be downloaded using the link on the right
You can access the data top lines here
The raw data is avaiable on request: info@migrationpolicyscotland.org.uk
The survey was carried out 4-10 February 2025 through Diffley Partnership’s ScotPulse Panel, Understanding Scotland series. Total responses 2,194 adults.