The recently released Jersey Population Estimate revealed that the Island’s population is now believed to have reached 106,800 with net inward migration exceeding 1,000 for the fourth year in a row, which is unprecedented.
The figures also showed that net inward migration – the surplus of people coming to the Island rather than leaving – was at similar levels from 2006 to 2008, but dipped between 2009 and 2014 to about half the level.
Assistant Chief Minister Constable Chris Taylor, who is chairman of the Migration Policy Board, which is considering the Island’s long-awaited population policy, said the slow down was due to the global recession following the credit crunch of 2008.
‘The disparity of the post-2015 immigration levels, with those of 2009-2014, reflects the impact of the global financial crisis and the reduction of roles within the financial services industry during that period,’ he said.
‘From 2015, as reported by Jersey Finance, the number of employees working within financial services has increased, and within the last year has exceeded pre-crisis levels. This is reflected in the immigration statistics.’
The Migration Policy Board is due to lodge initial proposals for a population policy this autumn, with the final findings to be published in April 2020.
Mr Taylor said that the board would consider the recent population estimate as part of ‘wider evidence’ feeding into the policy.
‘The board will work with the key stakeholders over the autumn to develop policy options for consideration by the Council of Ministers in early 2020,’ he said.
‘This timetable will allow the board to take careful account of the impact of Brexit, which is presently due to take place in October 2019.
‘The board was set up to develop a comprehensive migration policy, and will be considering the inter-related and complex issues required to produce a migration policy that ensures that the Island can strike the right balance between a balanced population, a sustainable economy and its environmental needs.’
In 2014 the States introduced an interim population policy, which was meant to remain in place for two years. But during the following five years, both the Le Fondré and Gorst governments have failed to introduce a permanent version.
