People from abroad who are considering moving to Scotland have nothing to fear, according to the country’s equalities secretary.
Angela Constance visited FRAE Fife, the region’s service for equality and fairness, on Friday morning to hear from members of the Kingdom’s foreign community.
She was there to reassure those who have settled in Scotland that they remain welcome and will be supported following the result of last week’s EU referendum.
Events in the past week have pushed concerns over hate crimes to the fore, however, Ms Constance stressed yesterday that those people looking to relocate to Scotland had nothing to fear on these shores.
“While there is no evidence as yet of a spike in hate crimes in Scotland, the Scottish Government is alert to the fact that our communities are feeling more vulnerable and we take that really seriously,” she said.
“We want to give a really strong message that this is a modern, outward looking country and that people remain welcome and valued.
“We welcome people from all over the world (and) there’s no reason to be afraid.”
Ms Constance met with members of Fife’s Polish, Syrian, Pakistani and Arabic communities in Kirkcaldy.
Service users raised concerns about a post-Brexit Scotland, with issues including the economy, jobs, and legal status for immigrants all touched upon.
The cabinet secretary also stated her belief that the issue of immigration had been poorly portrayed throughout the campaign process for the referendum.
Keen to stress that the Scottish Government would do all it can to help those moving to and already living in the country, she added: “There was a really nasty narrative that infiltrated the debate about our future in the European Union.
“Immigration and migration was portrayed in very negative terms and the human stories were lost.
“One of the women said that the narrative in the media did not feel very welcoming and she wanted to see more and better opportunities for a positive case to be made.
“The Scottish Government is working really hard so that anyone who has made the massive, life-changing decision to come to Scotland to live, work and make a contribution, knows they are valued.
“We don’t want to see people leaving Scotland at all.”
jowatson@thecourier.co.uk.