Chief Minister: Work permits needed now

John Le Fondre Picture: DAVID FERGUSON

Senator John Le Fondré, responding to a letter from Jersey Hospitality Association chief executive Simon Soar, said that there would be a balance between protecting the Island’s economy and the environment when formulating a population policy.

The States are next week due to debate proposals which, if approved, would mean people from outside the Common Travel Area require a permit and border permission via a visa to enter and work in the Island for a fixed term.

Mr Soar had written to all States Members arguing that the reduction in free movement as a result of Brexit would have a ‘significant impact’ on the way people moved in and out of the Island and that further migration controls were not needed at this stage. He also raised concerns over the ‘negative consequences’ of turning ‘all the available control mechanisms to maximum’ in one go.

The Chief Minister, in response, said: ‘I am grateful to the chief executive of the JHA for his detailed letter voicing the industry’s concerns regarding future migration controls. I can reassure him that the government has no intention of “turning all the available control mechanisms to maximum” in one fell swoop.

‘Instead, the debate next week is the first step in creating a coherent population policy with effective migration controls, and recognising the distinction between immigration controls and migration controls. The proposed controls set out in [the proposition] do not increase or decrease the number of migrants who can come to the Island: they just offer a more effective way of controlling the flow.’

Senator Le Fondré added that the proposals would make it easier for the government to target migration at areas of the economy where it was most needed.

‘The controls will therefore provide the levers to implement a policy which will be debated at the end of 2021,’ he added. ‘We are acutely aware of the tensions that exist between protecting our economy, our environment and our wider community, and these will be at the heart of the forthcoming population policy. The migration controls are there to ensure that Jersey remains agile to the ever-changing demands of today’s global economy, and the Island’s expectations.

‘Mr Soar suggests that immigration controls are sufficient and no changes are needed to the Control of Housing and Work Law (CHW). However, an employer will only be granted an immigration work permit if they already hold a permission in respect of that job.

‘As such, it is vital that the government makes changes to the law now to ensure that it provides the level of control that we need as we deal with all of the challenges that we will face in the future.’

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