SNP ministers will appoint a migrants’ commissioner if Scotland becomes independent – which will safeguard the right of EU citizens if the country is able to join the European Union.
The latest building a new Scotland paper, which focuses on citizenship, has set out how a commissioner could advocate for migrants in an independent Scotland.
It comes as SNP Independence Minister, Jamie Hepburn, claimed his government is “in the middle of building a compelling progressive case for independence”.
The creation of an independent migrants’ commissioner was a key recommendation of the Windrush lessons learned review and the Scottish Government said it would bring the country in line with nations like Germany.
Read more: Yousaf sets out 'inclusive' citizenship strategy for independence
The UK Government has declined to implement this recommendation.
SNP Social Justice Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said: “Migrants are an important part of the fabric of Scottish society - enriching our culture, boosting our economy and contributing to our communities.
“After independence, this government would appoint a Migrants’ Commissioner to speak up for individuals and families, including the hundreds of thousands of EU citizens who call Scotland home, to ensure migrants’ voices are heard at the highest level.”
She added: “Unlike the UK Government, who rejected the Windrush review’s recommendation to establish this role, we are committed to protecting the rights and equality of migrants - alongside all our citizens - in an independent nation.
“Under our proposals, it will be up to individuals to decide whether Scottish citizenship is something they want to pursue, but we are clear that people from around the world will always be welcome in Scotland.”
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Earlier, Mr Hepburn was asked on BBC Good Morning Scotland if the Yes campaign would secure victory in any future independence referendum.
He said: “Absolutely.
“We are in the middle of building a compelling progressive case for independence through the building a new Scotland series of prospectus papers.
“And in any referendum, I would predict we’d win.”
Pressed over a lack of evidence in the polls for the Yes campaign winning any re-run of the 2014 vote, Mr Hepburn said: “I operate in the real world and in any referendum, there will be a campaign, we would garner support, and I would believe we would win.”
He added that the citizenship proposals are “not entirely the same” as in 2014.
Read more: Analysis: Identity politics and tribalism confuse case for Scottish citizenship
Mr Hepburn said: “In the intervening period of time, we've now got UK Government operating an ever more hostile environment in terms of emigration to the UK and what we've done is we've set it to be a more straightforward and fair process to become a citizen of this country, unlike the UK system, where they profiteer out of a citizenship applications, they cost three times the value of processing.
“That's not something we would seek to do and we wouldn't put in place any equivalent of the life of the UK test. So we're also responding to the circumstances we find ourselves in.”
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