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A state of isolation |
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Jersey’s ethnic makeup
Jersey cow |
It may be worth, at this stage, taking a closer look at the exact makeup of Jersey’s population in light of their method of immigration control. According to the 2001 Census, in relation to the section on Cultural and Ethnic Background: 51.1% of residents considered themselves to have a native Jersey cultural background. 34% claimed a British background; whilst 6.4% claimed a Portuguese or Madeiran background. These three constitute by far the biggest cultural groups.
However, the numbers with completely different ethnic backgrounds are so small as to be negligible. Those with a Black cultural background only constituted 0.3%, with 0.2% Chinese and 0.1% from an Indian background. It would be fair to say that the multi-cultural and multi-racial aspects of modernity have passed by Jersey. 99% of the population are from a white, European cultural background; and although the need for temporary, seasonal workers for the tourist industry adds diversity and youth to the population, there is a suggestion that Jersey’s population controls implicitly discriminate on the grounds of ethnic origin.
Are such isolationist policies feasible in the 21st Century? Has an artificial lack of diversity started to have a negative effect on the island’s famously stable economy? The ageing population is but one negative effect. Public expenditure is rising and the States actually ran a deficit in 2001 for the first time in a generation. The island is also perhaps a victim of its own success, as high inflation and high prices have made it an expensive place in which to live and do business, which could have particular negative consequences for the tourist industry.
Also, over-reliance on the finance industry has tied the island’s fortunes to the inevitable fluctuations in that market. Finally, the island’s status as a tax haven seems to be attracting negative responses from some parts of the EU – by the end of 1994 there were 26,000 incorporated companies on the island, with 78 different banks registered- nearly all of them dodging tax in their native countries, thereby increasing the problems of their own native populations.
Undoubtedly, when considering population movement, Jersey is one of the most isolationist parts of the British Isles, but, it would have to be admitted, it is also one of the most envied. Its unique political history, coupled with its limited space and housing stock, have made it an island, not just in the English Channel, but perhaps also in the modern world.
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