Thursday, March 28

Jersey, the tax haven in the English Channel that caused a naval dispute between France and the United Kingdom

This week the English Channel experienced one of its greatest naval tensions in decades.

For more than two days, ships war forces of the United Kingdom and France were deployed in the waters of the island of Jersey, a small British dependency to 22 kilometers from Normandy.

The island, whose possession in other centuries was the cause of invasions, wars and disputes, has now become the main focus of post-Brexit tensions between London and the European Union (EU).

The new crisis began at the beginning of last week, when a fleet of more than 60 French fishing vessels sailed towards to a port in the island’s capital, Saint Helier.

The fishermen thus began a protest over new requirements and limitations for their trade that came into effect this month, as part of the departure british ca of the European bloc.

Under an agreement with the EU, French boat operators must show a history of fishing in the area to receive a license for Jersey waters, but fishermen claim that additional requirements were added without prior notice that now affect their work.

The French government questioned the British measure and came out in defense of their

Shortly after the start of the protest, he threatened to cut off electricity to the island, which comes from French territory, leading to one of the largest diplomatic clashes in recent times between London and Paris.

And the matter got to the point that two Royal Navy ships were sent to the area, to which France also responded with the deployment of two other ships

Finally, on Thursday night, after several negotiations, the French fishing boats left the port of Jersey, with which London ended the confrontation.

At least “for now”.

“We are pleased that the French fishing boats have left the vicinity of Jersey. Given that the situation is resolved for now, the Royal Navy’s maritime patrol vessels will prepare to return to port in the United Kingdom ”, announced the British government.

However, experts consulted by the BBC assure that the situation is far from being resolved, given that its causes (economic and political relations between members of the EU and the United Kingdom in the post-Brexit era) continue to be a source of tension between the parties.

And Jersey, trapped between France and the United Kingdom, could continue to be a trigger for new confrontations.

But why is this island so relevant to London?

A peculiar island

Jersey is a geographical place , historically and politically peculiar: it is the largest of the Channel Islands and is so close to France that culturally it is considered closer to this country than to the United Kingdom.

Without However, it is politically dependent on London : its international representation, defense and “good governance” are the responsibility of the British State, although it is not an official part of it.

The mixture between the two cultures is a constant there.

Most of its native inhabitants speak both English and a peculiar version of French (a sub-dialect of Norman); you drive on the left, as in the United Kingdom, you cook typical Normandy dishes; English cricket is played; most of the place names are in French and the pound sterling is used.

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The French fishermen protesting against new fishing regulations.

The island, of little more than 100, 000 population, was never part of the European Union or the European Economic Area and is considered an autonomous parliamentary democracy, with the power of self-determination and its own financial, legal and judicial systems.

However, its defense lies constitutionally in the United Kingdom, it has no legal power to appoint diplomats and Queen Elizabeth is considered a monarch.

As explained in the book Balleine’s History of Jersey , its strange political status has to do with its history and is rem onta at the dawn of the first millennium after Christ.

A story between two nations

About the year 996, the island, initially a Roman enclave, was annexed to the Duchy of Normandy, but its status and destiny changed due to one of the events that had the greatest impact on the History of Europe: the Battle of Hastings.

In October 996, Duke William of Normandy invaded England and defeated King Harold II, thus extending Norman power north of the English Channel.

La Batalla de Hastings
The Battle of Hastings was one of the most important historical events in the ancient history of Europe.

From then on, Jersey and England were united under the same monarchy.

After the division of the ducad or from Normandy in 1204, the islands remained in English possession, which gave way to successive episodes in history in which France tried unsuccessfully to recover it.

During the Middle Ages, in fact, England lost many of her feudal possessions on the European mainland, but managed to keep her islands in the English Channel.

botes Jersey

The island was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II.

United Kingdom, however, lost its possession for a few years: between 1 July 1940 and on 9 May of 1945, the island was occupied by the Nazis, who even created concentration camps there where they transferred Soviet prisoners to perform forced labor.

From In fact, the island experienced an intense famine after the Normandy landings, after the allies took control of the region and cut off supplies there from France.

And the economy and the The life of Jersey has been strategically linked to France, from where it not only obtains its electricity through submarine cables, but with whom they maintain their greatest economic exchange.

The island of scandals

Despite its small size and small population, Jersey has had a notable impact on political and economic life and media not only in Europe.

From the small island a breed of cows emerged (the jerseys) that were marketed all over the world for their milk rich in fat, a potato (the royal sweater) also conquered the kitchens of the world and a type of knitted fabric produced by Its textile industry became so famous that it even gave names to garments (in some countries is Spanish-speaking, it is still called a jersey to what for others is a sweater).

Its strategic importance for England was even patented in the conquest of North America: in its honor, the English called a his 13 colonies: New Jersey.

The island has also become known for other less curious reasons.

A decade ago, it was in the headlines of almost all over the world when the so-called case of Haut de la Garenne was discovered, a series of abuse and child abuse in an orphanage between 1980 Y 1980.

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The island has been designated as a tax haven.

The island’s economy and its financial system has also been a weak point in the island’s reputation for decades: it is noted as being one of the main tax havens in Europe.

The NGO Tax Justice Network, which tracks corporate tax havens around the world, considered to Jersey on your list of 2019 as one of the most “aggressive” in the world.

The local government has denied for years that the island is a tax haven and ensures that its business is carried out “fully in accordance” with standards established by “independent global bodies.”


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