WHEN a recent poll suggested that Scots attitudes to immigration were not so very different from those South of the Border there was unalloyed glee on the Right of the political spectrum.

See? We're all the same, they claimed, although The Herald pointed out that there were in fact discernible differences.

Now we can see the kind of hard and fast evidence on the contribution made by new Scots to our society which helps to explain the different political climate here. UKIP exploits the notion that foreign, in particular East European labour floods the nation and prices poor Britons out of work. Statistics from Scotland's chief statistician paint an entirely different picture. Just under half of our our migrants are educated to at least degree level, almost double the level of our general population.

The 2011 Census data also showed that of those coming to Scotland from outwith Europe 60% were already graduates and overall migrants across the age spectrum were equally likely to be economically active compared with the population as a whole.

Humza Yousaf, the closest Scotland has to a Foreign Minister, pointed out that our migrant population was well educated, hard working and in rude health - all things which benefit a country facing demographic challenges.

"This data busts many of the misconceptions that exist about the impact and contribution of migrants in Scotland. It demonstrates that most of our migrants are here to study, work and contribute," he said, highlighting the contribution to our society, economy and demographic challenges.

The Scottish migrant community is around seven per cent of the population, and the racial tensions of parts of England are less evident, although by no means absent.

The most pressing issue is the Westminster decision to end post study work visas for those who have completed their post graduate degrees in Scotland. This is a serious disincentive to overseas studies coming here to study and this is seen by our universities as seriously damaging to a vital income stream from students undergoing advanced studies.

During the referendum debate last year the notion of a single island nation without borders having tailored immigration policies for its constituent parts was much ridiculed at Westminster and by London-based critics. The Sturgeon Government should be putting in place serious, pragmatic arguments about how this could be achieved.

One suggestion has been a form of Green Card system tying immigrants to their places of study and employment. It should not be beyond our wit to devise a system which allows Scotland to attract postgraduate students and retain them in the workplace here without undermining different policy choices South of the Border.

Mr Yousaf said, and we concur, that immigration policy is too heavily influenced by priorities in the South, not least the perceived need to pander to UKIP in the run-up to a General Election.

"Scotland's needs are different to those in the rest of the UK. Scotland has a large, established migrant community and the Scottish Government welcomes the contribution new Scots are making to our economy and society," said the Minister for Europe and External Affairs. Our university principals agree, and so do we.