Chief Minister John Le Fondré has signed a ministerial decision to form a new migration policy development board, which comprises Assistant Chief Minister Chris Taylor, Environment Minister John Young, Social Security Minister Judy Martin and Senator Sarah Ferguson.
The board is also due to include a number of other Islanders.
Last summer Senator Le Fondré announced that he wanted to delay a debate on a new population policy for Jersey, which proposed work permits and tougher criminal background checks, claiming that more consultation was required and that the outcome of Brexit needed to be taken into account.
The population policy debate had already been postponed a number of times.
The report accompanying the ministerial decision says that the new board’s purpose will be to ‘develop comprehensive migration policy proposals which will deliver more responsive controls over who can come to live, work and access public services in Jersey’. It says: ‘In recent years, net migration has been at record levels as our economy has produced more
jobs.
‘This economic activity is important as it generates job opportunities locally, and the taxes that pay for public services. Nevertheless, the level and nature of inward migration fundamentally affects Island living. In particular, housing affordability is a challenge.’
The report adds: ‘Indeed, while some migration is necessary to bring in new skills and experience, and to help businesses grow, successive governments have sought economic growth driven by productivity improvements, and not migration.
‘For this reason, the Council of Ministers has pledged to reduce reliance on inward migration in the Common Strategic Policy.
‘This will be done alongside work to deliver a more sustainable economic future based around productivity and skills, feeding into a new Island Plan and as part of balancing population pressures against environmental needs.’
The recent Objective Assessment of Housing Needs survey indicated that 7,000 new homes will be needed in the Island by 2030 if Jersey’s population continues to grow at the current rate of around 1,000 people per year.
