Guernsey hospitality leader praises work permit-holder extension

Guernsey hospitality industry leaders have praised the decision to relax rules around short-term employment permits, but added it "doesn't solve" immediate pressure of staff leaving next year.

Home Affairs bosses announced on Friday anyone on a three-year licence could apply for a nine-month extension.

At the time, committee president Marc Leadbeater said members made the move as they were "sympathetic" with challenges faced by employers when it came to work permits.

But, with thousands of population management applications still outstanding, the Guernsey Hospitality Association said the government should "concentrate on the critical cases like staff leaving soon".

Alan Sillett, president and director of the Guernsey Hospitality Association, said: "This is a positive outcome. But it doesn't solve all of our problems because we have immediate pressures of next year with staff having to leave just as the holiday season begins."

States Chief Executive Boley Smillie announced the government's internal audit team would be reviewing the work of population management after it was revealed that, as of 17 September , 3,886 population management applications were outstanding, alongside 324 applications within immigration workstreams.

Sillett told BBC Radio Guernsey that, as a result of the backlog, it could take "anywhere from four months to a year" to recruit staff and get them to the island for work.

He said: "It is a testing, difficult situation for our industry, and it's been growing for while.

"There have been some businesses where the owners are tearing their hair out because of the delays in the system."

However, he added that the Home Affairs Committee should be given "a little bit of time" to sort the backlog.

Sillet said: "The positive thing is they now have this as their number one priority.

"I think we need to give them a little bit of time, and if we can find a way to concentrate on the critical places like staff leaving soon, that would be good."

Home Affairs has previously said it expected the backlog within population management to be "stabilised" during 2027, "bringing greater certainty around permit processing times".

The committee said it had looked as part of its work at extending permits to a full four years or longer.

However, it said that "would likely mean a greater risk of short-term permit holders reaching a point where they may become eligible for settlement due to their length of residency or on human rights grounds".

Currently Home Affairs is reviewing the island's population policy, with that review set to be published before the end of 2027.

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

Backlog of 4,000 population permits 'sobering'