Scotland, long celebrated for its warm welcome and multicultural spirit, is facing a sobering shift in public sentiment toward immigration. The country’s former first minister, Humza Yousaf, has sounded the alarm, warning that the “toxicity” of the immigration debate that has gripped England is now seeping into Scotland’s own public and political spheres. His remarks, delivered in the BBC Radio 4 documentary Scotland Wants You, come as new research and recent events point to a notable hardening of attitudes north of the border.
“We use these soundbites to perhaps mask the fact that people have genuine concerns about immigration – but I would suggest misplaced concerns,” Yousaf told the documentary, referencing the oft-repeated Scottish phrase “we’re all Jock Tamson’s bairns.” He acknowledged having used the phrase himself in speeches, but now sees it as a “very nice soundbite” that glosses over deeper anxieties. “I have to say, in recent months and over the past couple of years, it is a feeling that the toxicity of the debate around immigration and multiculturalism has managed to find its way up here. Scotland, I’m afraid, of course, is becoming more intolerant – both in the public space and frankly I’ve seen some of that intolerance in the political space too.”
Yousaf’s concerns are not merely rhetorical. According to BBC and NationalWorld, the summer of 2025 saw a series of heated protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers across the UK, including several in Scotland. These demonstrations, fueled by campaigns on social media, sometimes escalated to the point of arrests. In tandem, a wave of Saltire flags appeared on lampposts in Scottish communities, a move some organizers claimed was about celebrating national identity but which others interpreted as a reaction to the presence of migrants and a symbol of exclusion.
One such campaign, criticized sharply in the Daily Record, was fronted by Kieran Logan, a Glasgow man described as a racist who has openly blamed immigrants for Scotland’s problems. Logan’s inflammatory social media posts—which include advocating violence against asylum seekers and glorifying deaths of people crossing the English Channel—have drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum. “He is a man who should be shouted down and dismissed. His brand of racial intolerance and ignorance has no place in our communities,” the newspaper wrote.
The rise in visible anti-immigrant sentiment coincides with a measurable shift in public opinion. Sarah Kyambi, director of Migration Policy Scotland, has overseen years of research tracking Scottish attitudes. “Scottish attitudes to immigration are cooling,” Kyambi told the BBC documentary. “More people want to see the level of immigration reduced than they did last year or the year before. That cooling is from a point when we first started the survey – a point when the largest cohort in our survey wanted to see an increase in immigration, but now the level of support for immigration reduction is increasing.”
Kyambi’s think tank surveyed more than 2,300 people across Scotland in February 2024. Their findings suggest that the once-common narrative of Scotland being inherently more positive about immigration than other parts of the UK is no longer accurate. “The idea that there is an inherent greater positivity amongst the Scottish policy towards immigration is likely to be mistaken,” Kyambi warned.
Economic uncertainty appears to be amplifying these anxieties. In May 2025, immigration entered the list of Scots’ top five concerns for the first time, according to the Understanding Scotland Economy Tracker, a joint project of the Diffley Partnership and the David Hume Institute. Richard Tice, leader of Reform UK, argued in the documentary that attitudes are hardening because people are not feeling better off. “Scottish people are concerned by some of the impact of illegal immigration and too much legal immigration. People are questioning what they’ve been told by politicians. They’re saying: I think you’ve got this wrong. If politicians tell the good voters that immigration is going to make everyone better off – then people get worse off – people start to ask, quite rightly, serious questions.”
Amid these shifting attitudes, the numbers tell a complex story. National Records of Scotland data released in August 2025 showed the country’s population grew by 0.7% in the year up to mid-2024, with 76,100 of the 124,600 new arrivals coming from overseas. This influx has contributed to both economic growth and, some argue, pressure on public services and housing.
Housing, in particular, has become a flashpoint. The Daily Record reported that as of March 2025, a record 17,240 households in Scotland were living in temporary homeless accommodation, including more than 10,000 children. Local authorities, facing mounting strain, have declared homeless emergencies in several areas—a move that SNP ministers reportedly did not welcome. “Whatever your political viewpoint, it’s appalling that 10,000 children are stuck living in unsuitable properties where they can’t plan a future,” the newspaper asserted, calling for an urgent increase in affordable housing.
These intertwined challenges—rising migration, public anxiety, and housing shortages—have fueled a debate that is as much about Scotland’s identity as it is about policy. The phrase “we’re all Jock Tamson’s bairns,” once a unifying slogan, now rings hollow for some. Yousaf’s warning about complacency is echoed by Kyambi, who worries that Scotland’s reputation for openness may lead policymakers and the public to overlook growing discontent.
Yet, the story is not simply one of growing intolerance. Many Scots continue to stand up for inclusion and diversity, as seen in counter-protests and community initiatives supporting refugees and asylum seekers. Signs reading “no hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here” have appeared alongside nationalist symbols, underscoring a society grappling with competing visions of its future.
The debate over immigration in Scotland is, at its core, a debate about values—about what kind of country Scotland wants to be. As the BBC’s Nick Eardley, presenter of Scotland Wants You, explores in the documentary, the answers are far from settled. With economic pressures mounting and political rhetoric intensifying, the coming months may prove pivotal in determining whether Scotland’s tradition of welcome endures, or whether the “toxicity” Yousaf fears takes deeper root.
For now, the data and voices from all sides make one thing clear: the question of immigration is no longer a peripheral issue in Scotland. It is central to the nation’s politics, its communities, and its sense of self—and it demands honest, nuanced debate rather than soundbites or scapegoating. The path forward will require both courage and compassion from Scotland’s leaders and its people alike.
