Often misunderstood and much maligned, Scotland’s growing migrant workforce makes a vital contribution to many communities.
Undertaking a wide range of often tough and poorly-paid jobs, they fill a void in areas where there are not enough Scots to fill the posts.
Now a major new campaign in Perth and Kinross aims to promote that more positive message and dispel some of the common myths surrounding the migrant workforce.
Entitled Bringing Communities Together, it will see posters displayed across the region and information made available through leaflets and via social media.
Thousand of workers have come to Scotland in recent years mostly from eastern European countries, such as Poland and Bulgaria to take on a variety of roles in agriculture, food production and industry.
Among the sectors to benefit greatly from their work across Tayside has been the cultivation of soft fruit and field vegetables, which for many years have had to depend on non-UK migrant workers.
Their importance was highlighted in the summer of 2008 when a real shortfall in migrant workers meant that farms struggled to bring in certain harvests.
Firms such as Arbroath’s renowned seafood processors RR Spink & Sons and the troubled 2 Sisters plant in Coupar Angus also rely on a large number of overseas workers.
The campaign was launched yesterday by the joint chairmen of the Perth and Kinross Community Equalities Advisory Group, Councillor Archie MacLellan and Inspector Ian Scott of Police Scotland.
They met at the offices of the Mead (Minority Ethnic Access Development) Project in Perth, which led the multi-agency group that prepared the campaign materials.
Mr MacLellan said: “Migrant workers contribute significantly to our local economy, doing a wide range of jobs, including low-paid posts that may not attract local people to fill them.
“They pay tax and National Insurance and are consumers of goods and services provided in Perth and Kinross. The development of this new campaign aims to put to bed the common misconceptions that some people may have.
“As our posters show, even top footballers from overseas who play for Scottish teams are classed as migrant workers.
“Scotland has long been seen as a welcoming place for people to migrate to and this is something we should all be proud of.”
Mr Scott said: “Police Scotland welcome and value the contribution made by migrant workers to the Scottish economy and the wider social diversity they bring, which helps to keep our communities vibrant and flourishing.”
Figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions this month reveal that Scotland appears to be attracting more migrant workers than most other parts of the UK.
Nearly 37,000 foreign nationals are said to have settled north of the border in 2012, with migrants from Poland the largest group in Scotland.
This is followed by nationals from India and Spain, where youth unemployment is on the rise.
Picture from Phil Hannah