Greenock, a port town in Inverclyde, Scotland, has made attracting migrants and refugees its top priority after decades of depopulation. Figures show the town, which has a population of around 78,000, has lost 22,000 residents since 1981 and its council is now actively encouraging international arrivals to settle in the area.
Inverclyde Council has introduced a number of repopulation initiatives since 2021, including the provision of specialist English language teachers to support new families and events to support refugee settlement.
Hundreds of new arrivals from Africa and beyond
As reported by the BBC, Greenock locals said it would have been rare to see diversity in the town five years ago. However, hundreds of migrants have since moved to the town, with many arriving on skilled work visas to bolster the health and care workforce.
The number of new arrivals, from Africa, Ukraine, Afghanistan and other countries, has trebled in recent times, to around 750 per year since 2023. In a bid to attract more people to Greenock, the council is offering English classes and help to access skilled employment, while schools provide "anti-racist education".
Local voices: welcome but limited jobs
Christianah Omilana, the owner of Anik, an African food shop in Greenock, said Scottish people are "lovely and accommodating". She moved to the UK in 2021 and said further immigrants will make the move "when there is work". One of her customers, Sunday, agreed that the town is "lovely" and "friendly". He added: "If the local council can provide [jobs], everything in Greenock will change, because people [from Africa] would like to come."
The majority of Greenock's African population have been attracted by cheap housing. Many work or study in Glasgow while others work in the health and care industry.
However, there is a lack of employment opportunities in the town, with 29-year-old mother-of-one, Tiffany, describing Greenock as a "ghost town". She said "there are no shops" and "no employment" for local people. Tiffany explained: "I'm struggling to find jobs that suit both childcare and myself. I've considered moving from here to Paisley because there is so much more to do there."
Economic challenges and council response
Over the last four years, 1,500 jobs have left Greenock, with companies such as Amazon and EE opting to move elsewhere. In 2016, the IBM site near the town, which employed around 5,000 people, shut for good.
Although Stephen McCabe, the leader of Inverclyde Council's minority Labour-led council, believes the repopulation plan is taking effect, he does note there is an "unease" amongst the community around the arrival of asylum seekers. The council is participating in a Home Office dispersal scheme but Mr McCabe believes the area has "been allocated a disproportionate share". He added that migrants and refugees who can work are welcome.
Last year, a 17-year-old neo-Nazi teenager was jailed for 10 years for planning a mass murder at The Inverclyde Muslim Centre in Greenock. He pleaded guilty to terrorism charges at the High Court in Glasgow. The court heard how he befriended the Mosque's Imam and expressed an interest in converting to Islam. However, he actually intended to set fire to the building when it was busy with worshippers.
