IoM Trade Council Criticises Discriminatory Work Permit Rules

by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London

15 September 2003

The head of the Isle of Man's Trade Council, Bernard Moffat, says many island residents are being discriminated against due to the fact that under current rules they are not permitted to live or work within the European Union.

At present EU rules state that a person living on the Isle of Man must have some kind of connection with the UK to qualify for full EU residency and employment rights. This means that the individual, a parent or a grandparent must have been born in the UK, or the individual must have spent at least five years living in the United Kingdom.

In a clarification reported in the Isle of Man examiner, a spokeswoman for the attorney general stated that if those without a UK connection were permitted full employment and movement rights within the EU these would have to be reciprocated, meaning the island's work permit system would become unworkable.

Mr Moffat, however, does not accept this explanation, blaming the government for allowing approximately 15% of the Manx population to be discriminated against.

"The body that allows the discrimination is the Manx Government. It allows the issue of passports that contain this caveat to some Manx people," Moffat told IoM Online.

"It is still inequality and in fact I raised it some time ago with the chief minister. It seems to me very peculiar that the government cannot negotiate to have these restrictions removed," Mr Moffat stated, adding that removing these restrictions "doesn't mean the work permit system here has to be scrapped. I don't accept that at all. To hang it on the work permit situation is a little misleading."

Mr Moffat said that the attorney general department's explanation has merely served to confuse the matter further and after discussing the issue with the Chief Minister earlier in the year he is awaiting further clarification of the issue.

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