A 35-FOLD increase in the number of temporary work permits issued since 2019 has been driven by Brexit and the Covid pandemic, the Home Affairs Minister has said.
Deputy Mary Le Hegarat said “the dynamics of our labour market” had changed drastically following the events.
During a Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel hearing yesterday, it was revealed that 2,432 temporary licences had been issued last year – compared to 67 in 2019.
Under the Island’s Immigration (Work Permits) (Jersey) Rules 1995, employers are required to apply for a work permit for staff who require immigration permission to enter or remain in Jersey for work.
Temporary permits for nine or 12-month periods can be issued, depending on the sector. Subject to certain criteria – such as a minimum English language requirement – skilled work permits are also available for up to three-year periods.
Head of service for Jersey Customs and Immigration, Rhiannon Small, said that 2,432 temporary work permits were issued in 2024.
The figure marks an increase of 3,528% when compared to the 67 temporary work permits issued in 2019.
Following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, EU nationals who were not already living in the Island lost the right to live and work in Jersey without a visa.
“What we lost was the European community that were able to work and remain here,” Deputy Le Hegarat told the panel.
“But I also think that there was changes as well as a result of Covid, where people wanted to leave the Island to go back to be closer to their families – which is what happened during the previous government.”
Speaking after the hearing, panel chair Deputy Catherine Curtis said “looking at the scale of it, we can see that we have to be really careful to make sure people in this situation are being treated well,” describing the increase as “such a huge change so quickly”.
She said that “it will probably go up”, citing a need for nursey and early years workers as an example of continued demand within the local job market.
Panel vice-chair Mark Labey explained that the purpose of yesterday’s hearing was to determine whether those coming to the Island on work permits were “told everything they need to know”, including information about tax and accommodation.
He said: “What is really important is that if they do decide to come to Jersey, that when they get here we look after them.”
A report released by Statistics Jersey last month stated that, without migration, the Island’s working-age population would have fallen every year since 2012 by an average of 240 people per year due to ageing and deaths.
Number of temporary work permits issued in the last five years
- 2019: 67
- 2020: 132
- 2021: 931
- 2022: 1,967
- 2023: 2,263
- 2024: 2,432
