Guernsey Business Owners Condemn 17-Month Permit Delays as Staff Shortages Hit Summer Trade
Updated
Updated · Guernsey Press · Aug 8
Guernsey Business Owners Condemn 17-Month Permit Delays as Staff Shortages Hit Summer Trade
1 articles · Updated · Guernsey Press · Aug 8
Summary
Delphine and Mike Pesrin told Guernsey Home Affairs that long-term employment permits now routinely take 12 to 17 months, calling the system “untenable” and harmful to business and workers.
One employee has waited 17 months for a decision, while another has not seen his daughter since arriving in 2023 because repeated one-year permit renewals make travel risky and uncertain.
The delays are already constraining operations: the Pesrins’ Rue du Pre bakery opens only four days a week, and they say expansion at a new Quay site cannot proceed while key roles remain unapproved.
Hospitality operators say the backlog is wider than one business, with some hotels unable to serve poolside food during one of Guernsey’s hottest summers because they lack staff.
Home Affairs president Marc Leadbeater said the committee sympathized with employers, insisted the office was working to cut the backlog, and said any changes must still protect borders and the Common Travel Area.