Immigrant Vote Could Sway Tight Scottish Independence Referendum

Scotland will head to the polls on September 18 for a referendum on independence from Great Britain, and immigrants could represent one in five likely voters. Like other Scots, immigrants are divided. Ending the 300-year union with England and Northern Ireland would have economic and political consequences, reports Lisa De Bode for Al Jazeera America, including reduced power of the Labour Party in the British Parliament and a shift in responsibility for national debt. A vote for independence would also raise uncertainty for national banking and oil rights, membership in the European Union and London’s standing as a global financial capital. Some immigrants regard Scotland as more inclusive than Great Britain and expect the independent state to encourage a more open immigration policy. Others worry about rising anti-EU sentiment in London. One voter who favors close integration for Britain, Europe and the world describes the independence movement as a distraction. He favors unity and plans to vote no, arguing the forest is more influential and powerful than individual trees. – YaleGlobal