Will the ‘significant impact’ of Brexit reduce need for migration controls?

Coronavirus Covid-19. Non essential shops have been allowed to open again, following thier closure due before Christmas. Lunchtime shoppers in King Street, St Helier, where a keep left system has been implemented Picture: ROB CURRIE

Simon Soar wrote the letter ahead of next week’s States debate on the Migration Control Policy, arguing that the reduction in free movement imposed by Brexit will already have had a ‘significant impact’ on the way people move in and out of the Island.

He said that the Island’s border was previously freely open to 510 million EU residents, and the fact that it is now reduced to the approximately 76 million people in the Common Travel Area – a long-standing arrangement of free movement between the UK, the Crown Dependencies and Ireland – means adding additional controls would be ‘an unnecessary step’.

‘This is the most significant change to control factors introduced in decades,’ he said. ‘Access to free-moving individuals who could have come into the Island without a border permission being granted, reduced from a possible 510 million people to 76 million. This represents a reduction of 85% to the Island’s previously available labour market and is already presenting acute challenges moving forward.’

Simon Soar, chief executive of the Jersey Hospitality Association. Picture:DAVID FERGUSON. (30297315)

He added that the proposed new policy – under which people from outside the CTA are granted a permit and border permission via a visa to enter and work in the Island for a fixed term – would ‘remove the possibility’ of those individuals gaining residential status or contributing to an increase in the total population.

This, he said, would essentially achieve ‘many of the objectives’ that would be addressed by a population policy.

‘While there is a belief by many that the level of population increase the Island has experienced is not sustainable, we must be very aware and careful of the negative consequences of going from a position of low controls to turning all the available control mechanisms to maximum in one fell swoop,’ he said.

‘We really need to recognise and appreciate the impact of what has happened before we can risk adding even more layers on top of the new controls now in place.’

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