The government was challenged last night over fears Scottish Highland games will be hit by a crackdown on immigration.
The Scottish Highland Games Association warned visiting “stars” from Canada, Australia and New Zealand will be discouraged from attending after a new points-based sponsorship system is introduced in the autumn.
The row over the effect of the rules erupted despite assurances from the Home Office as MPs prepared today to debate amendments to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill.
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Lib Dem MP Danny Alexander criticised Immigration Minister Liam Byrne for failing to respond to his request for a formal assurance that the games will not be affected.
He released a paper from the Commons Library which confirmed competitors will require to be “sponsored” by games organisers, who will be charged £400 for a licence and £10 for each competitor, with those requiring visas having to pay an additional £99 and the £30 cost of a biometric ID card.
The concern is that those competitors who entered the UK as tourists would not be allowed to take part, and games organisers who arranged for them to do so would be breaking the law. It followed reports last night of a tenfold increase in the number of employers caught employing “illegals”. Employers face fines of up to £10,000 for each “illegal”, and in the last two months fines of roughly £500,000 have been imposed.
Mr Alexander said: “They fear these rules will place serious hurdles in the way of competitors from abroad.
“If necessary the rules need to be changed to make it explicit they are not affected.”
He acted after being approached by Inverness Games committee chairman Angus Dick, who said the requirements were “completely ridiculous” and added: “We need this in black and white from the minister.”
He said plans for Inverness to stage the World Masters next year in which around 100 competitors from overseas take part in “heavies” events could be at risk.
Scottish Games Association secretary Charlie Miller said Scottish Communities and Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell with had been approached over their concerns, pointing out the games attract 150,000 tourists a year, 500 overseas competitors and more than a thousand more overseas contestants in allied pipe band and Highland dancing events.
Mr Miller, also secretary of the Halkirk Games in Caithness, said: “The effect of these rules could be absolutely devastating and I am appealing to the government to think again.”
A Home Office spokesman said organisers of events such as Highland Games would, if exempt under current rules, not be brought within the points system and tourists would continue to be allowed to take part in them.
However, he said consultations are continuing over the regime for “visitors”.