DEPUTE First Minister John Swinney and Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie have joined a "don't ask, don't tell" drive over Tory post-Brexit border plans.

Labour and LibDem politicians are amongst more than 20 initial signatories to a new non-cooperation pledge.

The Right to Stay campaign is warning settled status rules established by Westminster could see thousands of EU migrants in Scotland being criminalised or deported.

Serving and former cabinet ministers have joined the drive, including Ben Macpherson and Shona Robison.

More Holyrood election candidates are now expected to add their names to a declaration which aims to ensure Scottish institutions are not used as Home Office border guards. 

It's feared trusted public bodies could be used to gather data and report on individuals, going beyond their remit in health, housing or other matters.

The National:

The pledge reads: "I support the Right to Stay campaign and principle of automatic registration, not application, for EEA nationals. I pledge to work to defend migrants' rights and ensure migrants have access to public services.

"I support a Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell principle whereby Scottish institutions do not act as Home Office border guards. If elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament I will campaign for the Right to Stay."

Around a quarter of a million European nationals currently live in Scotland. They have until the end of June to apply for settled status to formalise their right to live here after the UK's exit from the EU.

Many applicants have been given pre-settled status, which means they will have to reapply in the coming years. 

It's feared misunderstandings around the scheme mean many are being wrongly denied access to service and jobs.

The campaign — the work of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and Another Europe is Possible — wants the process replaced with an automatic "right to stay".

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Referring back to immigration policies first brought about while Theresa May was Home Secretary, Bulgarian citizen and Glasgow resident Alena Ivanova, who is head of campaigns for Another Europe is Possible, commented: "The Westminster government has for many years now pursued the 'hostile environment', a deliberate attempt to make life unbearable for many migrants, and it is now planning to subject European migrants to that same policy.

"We are talking about the lives of hundreds of thousands of people across Scotland and many millions across the UK — including many of the front-line workers who have kept the country running during the pandemic, who have built lives in the UK, had families and made their home.

"The only way to guarantee their rights is for Westminster to introduce an automatic right to stay for all European citizens, which is what Boris Johnson promised during the EU referendum anyway."

The Vote Leave campaign told the public "there will be no change for EU citizens already lawfully resident here" and "EU citizens will automatically be granted Indefinite Leave to Remain and will be treated no less favourably than they are at present".

Stating that "the Scottish Government must act", Ivanova went on: "While Holyrood may not have the power to stop the hostile environment entirely in Scotland, it does have the power to operate a 'don’t ask, don’t tell' policy when it comes to access to public services and education.

"This pledge is an attempt to leverage those powers to work against Westminster’s anti-migrant agenda and make the lives of many migrants in Scotland more bearable.

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"By and large, Scotland’s politicians understand this situation and oppose it, and that means that they have a responsibility to take urgent measures to prevent another Windrush scandal."

As well as Swinney, Harvie, Macpherson and Robison, initial signatories include former shadow minister and Labour MP Paul Sweeney and Catriona Bhatia of the LibDems.

Maggie Chapman, Scottish Greens candidate for North East Scotland, said:  "Immigration brings huge benefits to our communities, and I am very disappointed that the UK Government's continuing failure to value those benefits will damage all our futures.

"At a time when we have seen the massive importance of NHS and social care staff, many of whom are immigrants, there is a real opportunity for government too recognise the vital significance of immigrants and immigration to our society and collective wellbeing. The hostile environment needs to end now."

The full list of signatories is as follows: 

Catriona Bhatia, LibDem, South Scotland
Patrick Harvie, Greens, Glasgow
Paul Sweeney, Labour, Glasgow
Ross Stalker, LibDem, Renfrewshire North and West
Michelle Thomson, SNP, Falkirk East
Euan Davidson, LibDem, East Lothian
Keiran O'Neill, Labour, Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn
Jane Ann Liston, LibDem, Mid Fife and Glenrothes
Catriona MacDonald, SNP, Edinburgh Southern
Fergus Mutch, SNP, Aberdeenshire West
Ben Macpherson, SNP, Edinburgh Northern and Leith
Katrina Faccenda, Labour, Edinburgh Northern and Leith
Mercedes Villalba, Labour, Dundee City West
Laura Moodie, Scottish Greens, South Scotland region
Maggie Chapman, Scottish Greens, North East Scotland
Molly Nolan, LibDems, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross
Ariane Burgess, Scottish Greens, Highlands and Islands
Kim Long, Scottish Greens, Glasgow
Jacci Stoyle, Liberal Democrat, Inverclyde
Guy Ingerson, Scottish Greens, Aberdeen Central and North East Scotland
Ross Collins, Scottish Greens, West of Scotland
John Swinney, SNP, Perthshire North
Isabella Sumsion, Scottish Greens, Highlands and Islands
Shona Robison, SNP, Dundee City East