Scotland may celebrate UK immigration with National Day
August 21 2009 by Mark Johnstone
Scotland celebrates UK immigration
Scotland’s diversity is set to be celebrated on a National Day to be held on 9 June each year.
After years of successful immigration, Scotland is a diverse country, with communities from all over the world holding a valid UK visa and having settled in Scotland and made it their home.
Now, the introduction of a national day called St Columba’s Day is to be considered at the forthcoming Scotland’s Global Impact conference scheduled for October 2009.
The national day would remember one of Scotland’s first immigrants from Ireland, St Columba, by celebrating all the people who have made the move to the UK, choosing Scotland as their home, ever since.
The Global Impact conference is part of 100 cultural events taking place as part of the Highland Homecoming celebrations.
Although the conference is intended to look at the impact the Scottish diasporas have had on other cultures and nations as a result of emigration, St Columba’s Day would be a great opportunity to celebrate the diverse range of immigrants who live and work in the UK and that make up Scotland in the 21 century. Many modern immigrants may have had similar experiences to the Scots who moved to Australia and other nations centuries ago.
Jim Hunter, the director of the University of the Highlands and advocate of St Columba’s Day, says, “By declaring such a day, we'd make clear to ourselves and others that being Scottish isn't about ethnicity, or race, or background. It's simply about being here, living here, working here.”
See the latest Immigration News
