AN Australian-born Gaelic artist has condemned the UK Government’s treatment of the Brain family – who are battling to remain in Scotland – as an attempt to enforce “cultural amnesia” among the Scottish diaspora.
Ariel Killick, who is co-founder of the Australian Gaelic School, said she was “absolutely livid” after immigration minister James Brokenshire agreed to allow Gregg, Kathryn and seven-year-old Lachlan Brain leave to stay in the UK until August 1 – but refused to reinstate the adults’ permission to work. She has given The National exclusive access to documents that show how many children, young people and adults her work has engaged with and its value to Scotland’s economy.
Speaking from Inverness, where she is giving a presentation on progressing Gaelic from primary schools to secondary, Killick said: “I’m absolutely livid at the latest turn of events – it’s totally counterproductive and cynical.
“If one person, like me, can contribute what I have to the Scottish economy, employment and cultural life over the last three and half years… so can thousands of others across the Scottish clearances and descendant diaspora in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and America.
“If Scotland has the ‘most powerful devolved government in the world’, why doesn’t it have control over its own immigration policy, or why can’t it engage a massive natural and already existing resource already available to it?
“Economy Minister Keith Brown spoke of his plan to make Scotland a more productive country through innovation, investment, internationalisation and inclusive growth – Scotland’s global diaspora should be facilitated in every way possible to form part of this.”
She said it was not simply about one family, but the entire Scottish diaspora and their ability to contribute to Scotland’s economy and culture.
“My Scottish ancestors may have left in the 1850s but the McKechnie name was carried all the way through to my grandmother, and if it weren’t for patriarchal norms my last name would be McKechnie too,” she added.
“So the echoes of the Clearances ring loud and clear in an unbroken line via contemporary names and memories many thousands of the diaspora worldwide would carry today.
“The UK policy is attempting to create enforced cultural amnesia and break the links between our countries and Scotland and shut off the beneficial impacts we can bring to Scotland’s economy and cultural life.
“It is inflicting a double injustice on the descendants of those forced from Scotland during the Clearances and effectively says to us that we are not welcome, not really – we might be able to stay for a short while, but eventually we’ll be forced again from the land our ancestors called home for many millennia before the handful of generations that our families have been in lands far from Scotland’s shore.”
Killick’s figures show that she has worked in 154 schools and communities across Scotland, engaging with more than 8,330 children, adults and young people in the process, and thousands more in on-street audiences at bilingual Gaelic street theatre and other arts projects, festivals and events
Working with many public and publicly funded bodies, she is worth around £53,600 to the economy, facilitating paid employment for 33 artists and artistic production staff – 29 of whom are Scottish or based in Scotland.
She also supports 62 individual service, supply and accommodation businesses in Scotland, and 69 in the UK, along with 21 B&Bs, youth hostels and caravan parks throughout Highlands and Islands.
Killick’s comments came as Ian Blackford, the Brain family’s MP, revealed the text of another letter he has sent to Brokenshire, urging him to “use powers in his gift” to allow them to work.
He wrote: “Where is the downside in allowing the family to work in the interim whilst they seek to satisfy the requirements of a Tier 2 visa?
“To allow Gregg and Kathryn to work would be the right thing to do. It would allow them to support themselves and make a contribution to the local economy and benefit the exchequer from paying tax.
“This is a gift you have in your power. I implore you to reconsider and to do the right thing for the family, the community and the Highlands.”
Meanwhile, a crowdfunding page set up by friends of the family at justgiving.com to help with their visa and legal expenses had raised more than £6,400 by last night.
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