In the wake of the publication of the 2011 census, which revealed that the number of people living in Jersey had risen significantly, these backbenchers called for photographic registration cards, immigration inspectors to crack down on people employed illegally and so-called ‘white-van men’, and incentives for Islanders to blow the whistle on such illegal practices.
They said that it was time to get tough before the situation spiralled further out of control.
‘Uncontrolled and unregulated net inward migration such as we have seen has consequential effects on the quality of Island life and this is a problem magnified when in tandem with an economic recession such as we are seeing,’ said then Deputy Sean Power, who led the panel’s review of the law.
Six years on and ministers concede that immigration is still too high and we seem no closer to an effective solution.
Too little has been spent on enforcement – basic checks on businesses which might be flouting the law and employing people illegally.
And whatever else the saga of inaction shows, it demonstrates a serious failing in the machinery of government – even when Scrutiny delivers a report which chimes with voters, it gets ignored.
Finally it seems that a penny might have dropped somewhere in Cyril Le Marquand House and more money is to be pumped into enforcement.
Ministers rightly say that this is not about puling up the drawbridge or shutting the gates. For several reasons, Jersey needs to continue to attract high-calibre staff in various areas of the public and private sectors.
But with public services and infrastructure under great pressure and with the latest population figures showing unsustainable rates of population growth, Jersey desperately needs better – or at least better-managed – mechanisms for control.
A decade ago, Senator Philip Ozouf, then the Economic Development Minister, launched the Migration Policy, saying that a fair balance should be struck between the needs of the Island and those of immigrants.
‘If you are good enough to work here, you are good enough to live here,’ he said.
Both sentiments remain key to success.
Migrant charge to pay for immigration crackdown: Click here.
