BNP’s occupation alert

Nigel Baudains | Monday, 22 January 2007 Source: The Guernsey Press and Star

THE British National Party has warned that Guernsey will be swamped by immigrants if it pursues a policy to import 200 people a year.

The controversial whites-only far right party, which backs an end to non-white immigration and promotes voluntary resettlement, has stepped into the population debate.

It has posted an article on its website titled 'Channel Islands facing occupation', and criticised the conclusions of a Policy Council working group, which wants to continue to attract 200 incomers a year.

'The majority will be migrants within 60 years – warning,' it said.

'The British National Party say support our young people to stay on Guernsey.'

The BNP's interest in the debate has been condemned by Health minister Peter Roffey. He said it was unhelpful.

Although he opposes the 200-a-year proposal, he said that was on grounds of number, not ethnic background.

'My concerns are numerical, the fact we have a very high population domestically already. If it went up further there are quality of life issues,' he said.

'They are not racially motivated and I would condemn those whose principle concerns over immigration were racial. It seems slightly bizarre that a UK political party is commenting on something outside the UK.'

He said that guest workers worked hard for the island's benefit.

'Whether large scale immigration comes from eastern Europe or the home countries doesn't bother me at all,' he said.

'I defend the right to maintain housing for the indigenous population but that's not a racial view, but the fact they are from Guernsey and we need the resources.'

BNP national press officer Dr Phil Edwards would not reveal the story's source, but he urged islanders to stand up for themselves.

'Guernsey and Jersey are popular places and many people want to live there but can't unless they have a certain financial status,' he said.

'You have these foreigners coming in and are you going to sit back and let it happen or is it just that you have no control over it?'

He said the United Kingdom was a soft touch when it came to taking in spongers and asylum seekers and its government did not want to do anything about it.

The States is set to debate a population and migration policy at next month's meeting.

Working party chairman Deputy Mary Lowe said immigration was controlled through the housing laws.

About 4,000 people come to Guernsey to settle each year, while some 3,800 go out. Some were returning to the island, she said.

Like many other places, the island had an ageing population due principally to a falling birth rate and it would not have enough people to provide the current range of services without imported labour.

'We will be monitoring that in future and if we see an increase in the size of the indigenous population, there might not be a need to have so many people coming in.'