Last week, Guernsey Customs and Immigration Service announced that it was making the move because some references supplied by Bangladeshi nationals as part of their applications were fake, or could not be verified.
Paul Luxon, pictured, who has extensive experience in the hospitality industry, among others, said the move was ‘the most ridiculous action on the back of some exceptionally minor actions by a few individuals’.
‘To “ban” an entire country’s economic migrant workforce from being recruited by Guernsey businesses across varied sectors of hospitality, care, etc is a major economic own goal by the States of Guernsey, and a dreadful reflection on the very many Bangladeshi nationals who were recruited to work here, travelled halfway round the world to do so, left their families behind, all to work diligently, professionally and with good demeanour, to then be classified as virtual “second class citizens”,’ he said.
A letter sent out to hospitality businesses informing them of the change said that the decision was not based on the nationality, ethnicity or religion of any individual, but was an operational measure based on evidence relating to document verification and the integrity of the immigration process.
The situation will continue to be monitored and the service recognises the positive contribution that people from many different countries make to the community and economy, it said, adding that the service ‘remained committed to treating everyone with dignity, fairness and respect’.
‘It most certainly is based on their “nationality and ethnicity”, and it, no doubt inadvertently, states categorically that people from this country simply can not be trusted and therefore should be barred from coming to Guernsey to work,’ said Mr Luxon.
‘There is a word for adopting biased positions like this.
‘What a dreadful thing to say and what a dreadful “hammer/nut” decision to make against them all, rather than to deal with any individuals involved in the issue raised.
‘What about the impact for Bangladeshi workers who already had come to Guernsey to work previously and who now will be most concerned about their future tenure, along with the added distress on hospitality businesses, and other sectors too, who now rely on these hard-working skilled people to provide the services needed for local companies to thrive and survive?’
The Guernsey Hospitality Association was informed of the decision last week.
It said it was currently seeking clarification on a number of practical points from the perspective of hospitality employers.
‘We understand the importance of maintaining the integrity of the employment permit system and ensuring applications can be properly verified.
‘At the same time, a number of hospitality businesses legitimately employ Bangladeshi nationals who make a valued contribution to our industry, and naturally those employers are concerned about how this decision affects future recruitment and any applications already in progress,’ it said.
‘We also recognise that the announcement has caused considerable uncertainty and anxiety among some Bangladeshi employees and their employers, particularly where individuals and businesses may already have been making plans based on the existing arrangements. It is important that everyone affected has clarity around what the decision means in practice.’
It said that before reaching any conclusions, it wanted to understand the practical implications for businesses and employees.