SNP MSP Angus Robertson has requested a meeting with the home secretary, James Cleverley, after poet Soukaina Habiballah was initially denied a visa to come to Scotland.

The Moroccan, one of the world's foremost Arabic poets, was initially turned down after applying to travel to the UK for the StAnza festival in St Andrews.

Organisers said that the Home Office had assessed she could be "a potential illegal immigrant" and turned down the application.

That decision was later reversed, but the former SNP leader at Westminster and current cabinet secretary for the constitution, external affairs and culture has written to Mr Cleverley to express his concerns and to ask for a meeting.

Read More: Poet Soukaina Habiballah granted UK visa for poetry event after Home Office u-turn

In a letter Mr Robertson said: "I am writing to you to raise my concerns around the impact of the Home Office's decsion-making process for visas on those working in our cultural and creative sectors.

"I would further like to request and urgent meeting to discuss these issues, and to explore ways that we can work together to find practical solutions.

"As you will be aware, the ability of artists and other creative professionals to come to Scotland and elsewhere in the UK to participate in cultural events is vitally important to our culture and creative sectors.

"The contribution made by international artists is central to the success of our festivals and other cultural events, and the presence of international artists is key in building more vibrant and diverse culture and creative sectors.

"however, I am increasingly concerned that the Home Office's procedures for processing visa applications are having a negative impact on the ability of international artists and creative professionals to contribute to cultural events in Scotland.

The Herald: Soukaina Habiballah

"Each year we hear examples of creative professionals having their work disrupted or delayed, and festivals and events facing challenges programming international performers due to delays with the UK visa process.

"Approaches to immigration can often lead to discriminatory outcomes for people from minority ethnic backgrounds through combinations of post-colonial legacies, unconscious and conscious bias, and systemic or institutional racism.

"Stakeholders have repeatedly raised their concerns of this worrying trend and its impact on our culture sector.

"A recent example of this that has been brought to my attention is that of poet Soukaine Habiballah from Morocco, who is due to perform at StAnza, Scotland's International Poetry Festival.

"Despite the considerable evidence that she is recognised as a leading international poet, with considerable talent and an extensive catalogue of work, her visa was initially denied.

"While I understand that, following various interventions, the matter has been resolved and a visa now granted, this raises serious questions about the reliability and timeliness of decisions being made by the Home Office in relation to creative professionals and the suitability of the visa routes available to them within the UK immigration system."

After being approached for comment by The Herald about the initial decision, the Home Office said: "After further information was provided this visa has now been granted.

“Applications must be considered on their individual merits, based on the information provided and in accordance with the immigration rules.”