Exploring migrant integration in a devolved policy framework: the case of Scotland

Since devolution in 1999, an important element of opposition between Scotland and Westminster has been immigration. While the United Kingdom (UK) government has increasingly been shaping more restrictive policies in that area, Scotland has demonstrated a clear political will to welcome and integrate migrants, for demographic, economic and moral reasons. This qualitative research examines the extent to which Scotland’s public and third sectors can leverage their devolved powers, and the absence of a UK-wide integration policy, to integrate asylum seekers and refugees more effectively. Ultimately, the article aims to show that while devolution establishes the constitutional framework of the UK, nations such as Scotland have attempted over the past twenty-five years to forge distinct social policies which are better adapted to their specific needs and interest.