'No new protections for migrant workers this term'

Jersey's chief minister has ruled out bringing in new measures this political term to give better protections to migrant workers.

Deputy Lyndon Farnham made the comments in the States Assembly after he was asked whether he would use ministerial orders to bring forward measures that would better protect migrant workers.

He said the government would not do this as existing legislation already allowed them to tackle instances of modern slavery.

There have been renewed calls for better protection for migrant workers since Deputy Philip Ozouf was sentenced to community service for breaking the island's immigration law.

In 2023 a report into the welfare of work permit holders made a series of recommendations including that the government should bring in a modern-day slavery law to protect workers from exploitation.

The government recently committed to bringing in a modern slavery law but the home affairs minister said this would not happen in this term of government.

The chief minister told the States Assembly current legislation allowed them to prosecute instances of modern-day slavery.

Farnham said: "Any reports of modern-day slavery will be thoroughly investigated at the moment under current legislation, there is a raft of legislation."

But politicians asked the chief minister what he would do in this term of office to improve the situation for migrant workers.

Deputy Inna Gardiner said: "We understand the legislation won't be brought forward this term, but what can the chief minister and his team do in the meantime to make a tangible difference for migrant workers?"

Farnham replied: "Current legislation ensures any accusations of modern-day slavery are thoroughly investigated, I don't think in that case the council of ministers are minded to bring anything before the election."

As part of the discussion, Deputy Montfort Tadier said the current arrangement where work permits were in an employer's name created a situation where the employee was "like a chattel of the employer, they can't move around freely, they can't change jobs without permission of the current employer and there is a potential for that asymmetric relationship becoming an abusive one."

Deputy Beatriz Porée has put forward a proposal to put the work permit used to hire seasonal workers in the name of the employee rather than the employer.

Deputy Mary Le Hegerat, the home affairs minister, was asked what consideration she had given to employees having their own work permit.

"This area is being looked at because there is going to be a total overhaul on the work permit and if that is the right way forward for Jersey."

"However, the recent prosecution that was successful in the court would not have been so if the employee was the holder of the work permit, because that was a result of the fact that the employer was holding the work permit."

Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.