Select a region
Guernsey will see “no impact” from the UK’s new immigration policy for skilled and essential workers, the Committee for Home Affairs has said.
HM Government has announced a new five-point plan seeking to slash net inward migration levels, which last year was at its highest rate ever, by at least 300,000 people per year.
It includes raising the salary threshold for skilled workers to obtain a visa through its relatively new points-based immigration system by nearly 50%, which will also apply to family visas.
Health and Care staff immigrating will also no longer be able to bring dependents with them to settle in the country, fuelling fears that current recruitment challenges within the NHS could deepen.
International students in postgraduate study will also be restricted from bringing dependents with them from January.
It left Guernsey’s equivalent government department, Home Affairs, little time to scrutinise the details and any crossover effects - but its President, Deputy Rob Prow, has now confirmed these specific changes announced by the UK Home Secretary “will have no impact locally”.
Pictured: Deputy Rob Prow says Guernsey can continue to set its own terms in respect of migration.
“While the Bailiwick works to agreed rules as part of its membership of the Common Travel Area, we have our own population and immigration policies which differ from the UK’s because our needs are different and this is understood by the UK,” Deputy Prow said in a statement to Express.
“Under our policy there is no alignment to an individual’s salary, it operates predominantly from an approved/in-policy posts list, which are reviewed on an ongoing basis in line with our economic and community needs.”
The local announcement should allay fears from some in the community that the changes could’ve been another detrimental development in migration matters since Brexit and the pandemic.
Speaking on X (formerly Twitter), Deputy Peter Roffey said he had contacted Deputy Prow on the issue, fearing the Bailiwicks’ position within the Common Travel Area would spell trouble for aspirations to grow the population and attract key workers.
The States have agreed to aim for net inward migration of 300+ going forward to maintain the numbers within employment locally, but without concrete measures of how to achieve that.
States back more inward migration and population growth
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.