THE biggest shake-up of the island’s population and immigration policy since the introduction of housing licences is to be considered by the Policy Council. It could lead to the formation of a Population Office in a move reminiscent of the hit 1980s Jersey-based TV show, Bergerac, with its Bureau des Etrangers for non-residents.
It also calls into question the value and future of the open market housing sector.
Current thinking would see a fundamental shift from controlling occupation of local market homes to establishing priorities for labour use in the island.
Work started by a special Labour Utilisation Strategy Group envisages using residence rights as an economic development tool and suggests that the Housing Control Law is being used for a purpose for which it was not designed.
Enquiries by the Guernsey Press indicate that the LUSG acknowledges that the States-approved no-growth population policy is in direct conflict with the zero-10 fiscal strategy.
The significance of that, it says, was reflected by October’s Institute of Directors conference, which asked whether Guernsey really is open for business.
This shift in thinking, which was not disclosed to Housing Department members and led to last week’s resignation of Deputy Barry Brehaut, appears to be well developed, according to sources contacted by the Guernsey Press.
Members of the LUSG are to conduct a wide-ranging review of the links between housing, population and employment and establish priorities for the use of labour in Guernsey.
When a new strategy has been formulated, work will start on incorporating it into the Government Business Plan and changing that plan if necessary.
The review has three key objectives:
n a new method of establishing who is entitled to live here permanently
n the form of controls needed to cover people allowed to stay for non-work-related reasons, and
n what part the open market has in the island’s economic future.
The strategy group believes that the IoD conference and other developments have highlighted the need for a review of how economic objectives can be reconciled with the States’ decision earlier this year to cap the population.
Officials are understood to have said that the credibility of government is at stake in explaining how these seemingly conflicting objectives can be squared.
The importance of this in delivering the Government Business Plan led to talks between Deputy Chief Minister Stuart Falla, Housing minister Dave Jones and his chief officer apparently without reference to political members of the department.
It is understood that the LUSG is to look at how other small jurisdictions, particularly islands, cope with migration issues and human rights, which could involve a move towards work permits.
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