More data to be collected for Jersey population policy

Current population data is not enough to "make meaningful forecasts" say politicians

More population data will be collected in Jersey to inform future decisions.

Jersey's States Assembly has backed the island's government in a vote on its population policy, including updating it every year.

Deputy Rowland Huelin, the assistant chief minister said there was currently not enough information "to make meaningful forecasts in these areas".

However, some politicians claim the plan does not go far enough and debating it was "wasting" time.

Ministers will now collect more data, and make better use of existing data sources, to inform future decisions on inward migration.

Recent figures show Jersey's resident population was 107,800 at the end of 2019.

Deputy Huelin, the assistant chief minister said over the next couple of years "better data will come on stream" to inform long-term planning "that will be an essential part of any successful population policy".

"If we don't have the controls in place to respond flexibly to current challenges we will upset the balance between the economy, the community and the environment, and that is a risk we cannot afford to take," said Deputy Huelin, who was behind the proposals.

The population policy does not include any form of target or cap for inward net migration.

In July last year, islanders were invited to take part in a discussion about Jersey's future population plans.

However, some politicians said the government had failed to take enough action to deal with population and explain how inward migration would be controlled.

The Reform Party chairman said they were "wasting" their time debating the plan and if adopted it would have "no practical effect".

"It changes nothing on the ground - no rules are changed, no targets are set, and no new instructions to government officers are given as a result of this," said Senator Sam Mezec.

However, Senator John Le Fondre defended the plan and said the aim, mentioned in the document, was to "progressively reduce Jersey's reliance on net inward migration".

The results of the 2021 census are yet to be published.

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