It never ceases to amaze me how many times the Cayman Government will continue to attempt to pull a rabbit out of a hat. There quite simply are not enough people on these Islands who are qualified or interested in the available work.
Even if every Caymanian were granted their dream job (regardless of education, experience or work ethic) there would still not be enough Caymanian people to support the industries of the Cayman Islands.
The only “benefit” Government receives by forcing qualified and committed expats to comply to a fixed term immigration policy is that they avoid the obligation of making them citizens and all the financial and social “costs” associated with granting these long-term “foreigners” status.
In my opinion, losing qualified workers who are familiar with the Islands and have proven themselves worthy of company or family trust is an example of Government cutting its nose off to spite its face.
The deep investment Cayman’s businesses and families continue to make will only be replaced by the risk involved in recruiting new - and still foreign - labour, especially given the current cost of living.
I’m sorry that Caymanians feel resentment towards the growing expat population but the reality is that if Cayman wishes to sustain the level of industry it receives from both the tourism and financial sectors, it simply must find a way to accept the expat reality and find means of preserving its cultural heritage at the same time.
Any culture runs the risk of being lost to development if measures aren’t taken to preserve it - so do it! But consider the consequences of your actions and don’t think that expats are just going to go away without severely impacting the very industry Cayman is so desperate to be a part of.
J. Simms
