Susan Thomson, the SNP Westminster candidate for Na h-Eileanan an Iar has expressed serious concerns about the consequences for care services in the islands as a result of a Westminster order which comes into effect this week.
New visa rules from the Home Office restrict overseas care workers from bringing their partners and dependent children to the UK.
This will ultimately lead to vital care vacancies being unfilled fears Ms Thompson.
She pointed out workers from other countries are employed in care roles in the Western Isles, taking up jobs that are often difficult to difficult to recruit staff for.
She said: “Areas like our own desperately require these qualified workers to help ensure that the needs of our most vulnerable are met.
“At the moment around 15% of the care workforce in Scotland comes from overseas, but this percentage will undoubtedly drop when the new restrictions come into place.
“We have an aging population in our islands and we already struggle to fill care posts.
“We need inward migration, not only to carry out these vital jobs, but also to help revitalise the community.
“This decision is not only morally abhorrent, but economically illiterate.”
She added: “This is yet another example of a Westminster policy which completely fails to take into consideration the divergent needs of the Scottish economy, and that of the islands. Only with independence can we tailor our immigration policy to suit the requirements of our community.”
The SNP candidate issued a challenge to the Labour Party - if they are elected to Westminster at the forthcoming election - to overturn what she called a “damaging and ill thought out policy.”
“The Labour Party talks about change Sir Keir Starmer himself admits there is little difference between Labour and Tory immigration policy. Communities, carers and their families, and our economy deserve far better,” she said.
The UK Government said the measure immigration is “far too high” and needs to be reduced while the health and care visa for dependants was being abused.
UK's visa curbs on care workers from overseas will hit Western Isles warns SNP candidate
13 March 2024