Population and Migration

We have reviewed the Government’s plans to deliver a new population and migration policy for Jersey.

The Chief Minister has set up a Migration Policy Development Board to work on a new population and migration policy. We have tested the Government's approach to delivering this important policy, heard what you think about it and published a report making recommendations for the Government and the Policy Development Board to consider as they continue their work. We have also published a digital report, summarising our findings, which you can read here.

The deadline for submitting evidence to this review has now closed. However, if you want to contact us about our work, you can email scrutiny@gov.je or use our feedback page, or follow us on social media through our Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram pages (@StatesAssembly)

Key issues

We invited evidence on the following questions:

1. Jersey’s population is increasing by over 1,000 people each year. Most of this is down to people moving to Jersey. The Government wants to reduce this number. Do you agree?
   

2. The Government’s Policy Development Board is focusing on the following areas. Which of these do you think is particularly important, and why?

• Fiscal Policy [Government taxes and spending]
• Ageing demographic [Ageing population]
• Public Service Provision [Providing public services like, schools, hospitals, police, fire service etc]
• Planning [sites for housing, protecting green spaces etc]
• Transport policy [Roads, buses, cycle routes etc]
• Impact of migration on housing affordability [Impact of increased population numbers on the cost of buying/renting a property]
• Immigration controls [passport controls, ability to travel to/from the UK]
• Work and housing controls [employment licences and housing qualifications]
  
• Access to services and housing for people moving to the Island

3. Are there any other issues in relation to population growth that the Government should be focusing on?

4. What are your main concerns or priorities about population growth?

5. The last Government suggested the following ways to control the number of people moving to Jersey. What do you think about each of these?

• Prioritising employment licence requests from businesses which invest in skills and training and who deliver productivity or other community improvements
• Short and medium term, time limited work permits
• Criminal records checks for new migrants
• Photos on registration cards
• Prioritising employment licence requests from businesses which invest in skills and training and who deliver productivity or other community improvements

6. If you are a business or industry group, what are the biggest challenges you are facing as a result of current migration levels and existing migration controls?

We have held Public Hearings with the Chief Minister, the Minister for Health & Social Services, the Minister for the Environment, and the Migration Policy Development Board.

Webcast of public hearing with the Chief Minister

Webcast of public hearing with the Minister for Health & Social Services

Webcast of public hearing with the Minister for the Environment

​Webcast of public hearing with the Migration Policy Development Board

To hold the Government of Jersey to account for delivery of a new Migration Policy for the Island and to identify the key areas and issues that the policy needs to take account of.

We will do this by:

1. Examining the terms of reference and planned work programme of the Migration Policy Development Board
   
2. Considering and commenting on the proposed timeline for delivery and implementation of a new Migration policy
3. Identifying how Ministers are contributing to the development of the new policy, with regard to the areas that fall within their remit
4. Listening to the views of organisations, individuals and interest groups on the Government’s plans and the challenges in relation to population and migration that they are currently facing