As the anti-refugee bill progresses through Westminster, we asked people in Scotland for their views and feelings on the importance of welcoming people seeking protection.
Survation conducted the poll on our behalf in September 2021. They asked a random sample of 1,000 from across Scotland what they thought about issues around refugee rights. People told us that:
- 79% of people agree that “Refugees are people just like us”
- 82% of people agree that “People deserve to live in dignity while their asylum claim is being processed”
- 77% of people agree that “People seeking refugee status should have the right to work to support themselves and their families”
- 64% of people think that Scotland should welcome the same number or more refugees than it does now
- The majority of people think that people seeking asylum should be housed in accommodation within local communities
- Only 17% of people disagree that “Everyone deserves the right to live safely no matter what route they took they arrive to the UK”
Sabir Zazai said: “These findings show us that the majority of people in Scotland want to live in a country in which people seeking safety are treated with dignity and can live as members of communities who are able to support themselves and their families through work. Scotland wants to welcome refugees.
“I have had the privilege of witnessing this warm welcome first hand as our staff supports people to integrate into communities across the breadth of the country, and as we continue to receive so many incredibly generous offers of support from the Scottish public for people fleeing Afghanistan.
“Sadly, this warm welcome is not reflected in legislation from Westminster. The UK Government’s anti-refugee bill seeks to implement an even more hostile regime, which criminalises people seeking sanctuary and houses people in institutional accommodation with little control over their lives. These simply are not the wishes of the people of Scotland. It is not too late for the UK Government to scrap this anti-refugee bill and stand together with people seeking protection to build a humane and fair asylum system of which we can all be proud.”
