A petition has been submitted to Tynwald calling on the government to protect existing residents from future changes to settlement timelines.
The petition, to be presented by John Wannenburgh MHK, requests that the government commit to “transitional protection” for those already on routes to settlement under current immigration rules.
It defines transitional protection as: “people who had already been granted leave under immigration rules that provided a route to settlement after five years, before any subsequent change to settlement timelines comes into effect, are able to complete that route on the basis that applied when their leave was granted”.
The petitioners argue that extending settlement timelines without clear transitional arrangements would create “prolonged uncertainty and additional cost for families and employers”.
Survey work conducted by the petitioners indicates potential implications for “workforce stability, business continuity, public services, resident families and employers” across multiple sectors including healthcare, social care, education, hospitality, finance and technology.
The petition notes that many sectors “continue to rely on inward migration to address workforce shortages and skills gaps”.
It calls upon the government to make a public commitment to transitional protection and to publish arrangements including eligibility criteria and timelines.