As the owner of a small business here on Jersey, it has become increasingly difficult to find "locals" to work for me. The competition from both the Finance sector and the State sector has resulted in full employment and so in a lot of instances the only individuals available are those who have recently arrived on the Island.
My experience has been very positive. I am not one of those who advocates that they are paid just a minimum wage. I believe that if they are doing a good job, they deserve to be rewarded accordingly because they are in turn making a success of my business.
Half my workforce is "foreign". They include Portuguese, Swedish, and Polish individuals, and what a team we have. So it was quite funny when at our last Christmas party they gave me the present of a book entitled "Bloody Foreigners" by Robert Winder.
It's the story of Immigration to Britain or the last 1,000 years. What is so interesting is how each generation voices its concerns over the number of Foreigners coming to these shores, and still we allow them to come. As a result some of the greatest British institutions such as "Marks and Spencer" have come into existance.
We must always remember that foreign workers do not leave their homelands lightly. It's usually the most able individuals who take the huge step, and it is in turn our economy that benefits over time.
Yes there is only so much space available, but don't blame foreign workers for problems not of their own making.
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