"We were Emigrants Then, so we must Welcome Immigration Now"
- Alistair McConnachie
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Alistair McConnachie says there is no historic justification, nor moral reason, to submit to mass immigration and asylum just because some of our ancestors were emigrants; and those who imagine so, have had their morality turned upside down. Pic: Alistair addressing the "Stand Up to Racism" march in Falkirk, 6-12-25.
The political establishment in both Scotland and the Republic of Ireland heavily push the theme that because some of our ancestors emigrated then we must submit to (not just welcome) endless mass immigration and asylum today.
The sub-text is: Because of our history, we have no rational or moral authority to disagree with, much less work to stop, immigration today.
We can address this on 3 grounds: today's reality, the historic numbers, and the morality of the issue.
Firstly, the people who say this might have a point if there were – today – thousands of Scots claiming asylum in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia and Eritrea; and 100s of thousands of us applying for jobs in India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Ghana.
If that were happening today, then they might have a point!
Secondly, the historic comparison doesn't add up.
LET'S COMPARE SOME NUMBERS
Scots – and the rest of the British – left over a long period of time to settle and build new nations on some of the largest and emptiest continents on earth. Immigrants and asylum seekers arrive in large numbers every day, from some of the most populous places on earth, to this already existing, small and overcrowded nation.
For example, over the almost 60 years between 1717-1775, Scots emigration to North America totalled approximately 70,000-80,000 (David Hackett Fischer, Albion's Seed, p.609).
This is only about three-quarters of the number of long-term immigrants who came from outside the UK into Scotland in one year between June 2023 and June 2024 – which was 109,500. (1)
The latest figure for the number of long-term immigrants into Scotland from outside the UK for the one year between June 2024 to June 2025 is 57,600. (2)
Cleary, if we really wanted to use the history of Scottish emigration as a guide, we would be closing the door, not opening it even wider!
WE ALSO HAVE the MORAL RIGHT to REFUSE ENTRY
Historic comparisons aside, the fact that Scots emigrated in the past does not stop us demanding immigration controls today.
It does not, somehow, compromise us morally.
We can and should advocate for restrictions, regardless of what we may, or may not, have done in the past.
Whatever we may, or may not, have done in the past does not require us to excuse and accept what is happening today.
This is because Scotland, and Britain, and every country, has the absolute moral authority, indeed duty, to control its borders on behalf of its people.
It is this moral point that the advocates of mass immigration, and open borders, and "asylum for all" will dispute. This is because they have a "moral inversion" which sees everything from the perspective of the person entering the country rather than from the person in the country.
This inversion gives them a moral bias in favour of the incomer rather than the native.
Consequently, this leads them to imagine that there is "no such thing" as a right to exclude someone from a country (or a premises, or a service) for any reason.
This leads them to believe that there is no "moral right" to control the borders. Consequently, they will oppose all who say and do otherwise. They will say it is "wrong" because such "exclusion" is "discrimination" – which is meant to be "bad" for some reason.
Well, anyway, that's what they say!
But for us, moral authority is found in protecting our country and its people, by ensuring secure borders and preventing mass asylum.
Our position means that some people from abroad may be "excluded" but at the same time, people in our country will be protected.
Morally, it is from the perspective of the people in our country that we firstly see things.
REFERENCES
1. National Records of Scotland, "Mid-2025 population estimates", 14 July 2026: See Figure 3 at nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/mid-2025-population-estimates/
Please note this is the latest corrected figure for June 2023 to June 2024. This figure is considerably up from its previous estimation for this period, last year, of "90,700"; published at: National Records of Scotland, "Mid-2024 population estimates", 14 Aug 2025: See Fig 3 at nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/mid-2024-population-estimates-outdated/
2. National Records of Scotland, "Mid-2025 population estimates", 14 July 2026: See Figure 3 at nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/mid-2025-population-estimates/
We examine this matter, and propose solutions, in our classic book on the subject Protect our Country: Policies to Stop Mass Immigration available from Amazon.
For more articles on immigration see our Territorial Sovereignty: Article Index
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