Ukrainian refugees should be welcomed, but not as pawns for ‘Scottish exceptionalism’ – Brian Wilson

The tragedy of Ukraine and flow of refugees demanded humane and efficient responses. In Scotland, nothing is ever that straightforward. There always has to be a row.

So in March, Nicola Sturgeon attacked the UK Government for falling “woefully short” in opening its doors to refugees. She said that there should be “no limit” on the number coming to Scotland.

Headline achieved! A humanitarian crisis reduced to a contrast between the UK Government’s hard-hearted failings and Scotland’s warm-hearted desire to do more. With utter predictability, that script has turned very sour.

Instead of relying on Scottish families to take in refugees, the Scottish Government declared itself a “super sponsor” which would arrange the accommodation. What could possibly go wrong?

Millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee from their lives as a result of the Russian invasion (Picture: Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images)

After months of chaos, the answer is to put hundreds onto a cruise ship docked at Leith while rescuing two tower blocks from demolition in Lanarkshire. The “super sponsor” scheme is suspended and will probably never be heard of again.

Housing refugees is a real challenge which requires planning and resources. The moral is not that we shouldn’t welcome more refugees. It is that we should go about it in a dignified way – rather than as a political stunt to promote Scottish exceptionalism while failing to ensure that the logistics are in place.

The share of Ukrainian refugees in Scotland is now proportionate to the UK as a whole. Could we not have ended up in that same position without the political opportunism? But what headlines are there in that?