Net immigration targets

WQ.294/2019

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 2nd JULY 2019

Question

Will the Chief Minister explain to members why the target of net inward migration of 325 people per year has not been met in each of the past 4 years?

Answer

The last agreed population policy P.10/2014 Interim population policy: 2014-2015' was voted on by the Assembly on 1st May 2014. This did not set a target but agreed a planning assumption' of +325 people per year for the period of the policy. It is not for me to comment on a target set by a previous Government, however it is worth noting that population growth has not been at this level since 2003 (with an increase of +300) and with the lowest annual growth of the last ten years being an increase of +800 in 2009.

I understand the significance of the current net inward migration figures and the difficult decisions that will need to be made by this Government, and in due course this Assembly, if we are all serious about reducing the island's reliance on inward migration.

There is no simple answer to doing this and that is why in August 2018 I requested Statistics Jersey to research a body of work on Estimating government receipts and expenditure for Jersey households', which was published in April. In March 2019 I also established the Migration Policy Development Board to look at the inter-related and complex issues involved in producing realistic and effective options.

The recently published population figures demonstrate a reducing net migration rate and I am pleased with the progress that the Assistant Chief Minister has made in utilising the current controls that Government has to help reduce the rate of net inward migration.

There is much more work to be done, but I expect to have a properly researched, relevant and realistic interim report out for initial consultation with invited parties in the autumn of 2019, with the migration policy going to the Council of Ministers in the first quarter of 2020, for onwards debate by the Assembly. All minutes and reports of the Migration Policy Development Board are published on line at: www.gov.je/migrationpolicy

To date the MPDB has held 8 meetings:

Agenda  Speakers  Presentations/papers

considered

Meeting 1:  Agreed the Board's terms  N/A  N/A

07 March  of reference, scope and

invitees

Meeting 2:  Current migration &  Acting Assistant Director,  Immigration controls & 21 March  population controls  Immigration &  work permits

Nationality, JCIS.  Control of Housing of Work (Jersey) Law

Senior Manager, Business  Fiscal Policy Panel Advice Licensing, CLS  for 2020-2023 Government Housing Control Manager,  Plan

CLS

Meeting 3: 04 April

Meeting 4: 18 April

Meeting 5: 16 May

Estimating Government receipts & expenditure from Jersey households

Jersey demographics

Previous population policy Future workflows

Statistician, Statistics Jersey

Statistician, Statistics Jersey

Chief Statistician, Statistics Jersey

Senior Economist, Chief Minister's Department

Head of Ministerial Support Unit, Corporate Policy

Group Director Policy, SPPP

Statistics Jersey – estimating Government receipts & expenditure from Jersey households

Population estimate 2017 Long term revenue v expenditure

Migration systems in other parts of the world

Meeting 6:  Migrant access to services  Director, SPPP

30 May  Policy Principal,

Immigration & Migration Meeting 7:  Skills and labour shortages  Director, Education

13 June

Discussion paper (pending) Discussion paper (pending)

Meeting 8:  Infrastructure, Housing &  Director of Strategy & Innovation, SPPP

27 June  the Environment  Assistant Director, Planning & Environment

Assistant Director, Social Policy

Policy Principal, Housing

The MPDB has the following meetings planned:

Meeting 9:  Identify areas for policy proposal development over summer recess 11 July