Last week the States announced that they intended to curb immigration by reducing the number of employment licences for registered staff (unqualified immigrants who have been in the Island less than five years) that companies were granted.
JFU president Peter Le Maistre said that Jersey’s farms used a high number of such employees but that the majority did not stay in the Island long-term. He added that it was therefore less likely that agriculture would be affected by the cutbacks, as the States would be more likely to target firms with a high number of immigrant staff who achieve ‘entitled to work’ status, which can be applied for after five years of residency.
When workers achieve ‘entitled to work’ status, a firm no longer requires a licence to employ them.
Mr Le Maistre said that the current system was ‘ridiculous’ because it meant that firms could reallocate any registered licences once a member of staff became entitled to work.
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