Grandfather rights 'indefensible and needlessly divisive'
CONCERNS that new residency rights differentiating between Guernsey families will 'build discrimination into the fabric of our society' have been raised by a number of deputies.
Under the proposed scheme, a baby born here with a Guernsey-born parent and grandparent would have an automatic right to live here at any time.
But a baby born to Guernsey parents whose own parents were not born in the island, would need to gain residency rights through an eight-year qualification period, if the new Population Management Law goes ahead unamended.
Deputy Peter Roffey has lodged an amendment for debate tomorrow, seconded by Deputy Matt Fallaize, who described this section of the law as 'indefensible and needlessly divisive'.
Vale deputy Sarah Hansmann Rouxel said it was regressive and would incite discriminatory treatment of Guernsey-born children.
'I intend to support the additional proposition being laid by Deputies Roffey and Fallaize,' she said.
'While I understand the emotive argument presented during consultation in 2012 which resulted in the addition of "birth rights" for certain Guernsey-born children, it creates an idea of degrees of "Guernseyness" which is counter to the openness of a forward-thinking inclusive Guernsey.
'In my opinion, we are building discrimination into the fabric of our society by enshrining it in law this way.
'We should be treating all Guernsey children equally. Either all Guernsey-born children have a birth right or all Guernsey-born children have the same period of qualification.'
