‘Top priority’ population law review at least a month late
GUERNSEY’S population and immigration review has been delayed for at least another month.
The review is one of the top priorities for this States term, having been given category one status in the Government Work Plan, and is widely seen as an essential piece of work in any long-term solution to the Bailiwick’s housing crisis.
Home Affairs president Rob Prow told the States on 13 July that the policy letter would be published in August and that this was ‘evidence of this Assembly’s commitment to collaborative working’.
‘Less than halfway through this term we will be considering a policy letter on population policy, an issue that was the subject of political procrastination for the entirety of last term,’ he said.
However, the States yesterday put out a media statement which, although it did not mention a delay, said the policy letter would be published in September ‘with the hope it is debated in October’.
The work is being done under the stewardship of a cross-committee steering group which includes the presidents of Home Affairs, Economic Development, Employment & Social Security, Environment & Infrastructure, Education, and Policy & Resources.
It is understood the delay is due to giving committees more time to respond.
Little information has been made public about what recommendations will be made, although the latest monitoring report of the GWP indicated there could be changes to open market residency policy, while yesterday’s announcement said changes would ‘seek to both assist businesses in recruiting and retaining staff from overseas, and streamline the population management and immigration processes themselves’.
The 2021 version of the GWP also said the review would ‘acknowledge that there is a need to limit immigration to restrict population growth and manage pressure on public services, housing stock and the environment’.
Deputy Prow said yesterday that the review was ‘nearing completion’.
‘We previously ran a consultation exercise with representative bodies from the business community and last week we met with industry representatives to further engage with them, discuss their consultation feedback and how it helped shape the development of our proposals for the States. We are also in the final stages of our consultation with relevant States committees whose feedback will help us finalise the propositions.
‘As such our intention is to publish the policy letter in September with the hope it is debated in October.’
He said the review could not resolve all of the community’s challenges in one go but would ‘make recommendations to take steps in the right direction for future planning’.
