Photo of Paul Niedzwiecki courtesy of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce
CENTERVILLE – CEO of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce Paul Niedzwiecki says as more migrant families are sheltered in the Cape Cod region, the federal government needs to expedite the processes by which they can secure employment.
There are currently over 6,500 migrant families sheltering in Massachusetts, prompting a statewide discussion on proper solutions to the issue as municipal resources are strained by the new arrivals.
The situation has created a regional scramble to house incoming migrants, with Joint Base Cape Cod and Harborside Suites Motel in Yarmouth acting as sheltering sites and Governor Maura Healey declaring a state of emergency.
Niedzwiecki voiced the Chamber’s support of expediting work authorizations for new migrants, referencing the open vacancies in businesses across the state as an opportunity for a solution that mutually benefits migrant families and the local economy.
“On the Cape with the seasonal economy we have, we have relied on foreign-born migrants for decades now to support our seasonal economy,” said Niedziecki. “Especially those J-1 students that are here as cultural exchange students, and the H-2B visa program.”
“The #1 pressing issue for businesses in the state and on the Cape is a labor supply issue,” he continued, “so we see the potential for these two challenges to meet up in a way that benefits the region and everyone else.”
Data gathered by the Chamber indicates that 74 percent of businesses across the state are reporting vacant job openings, with most businesses reporting that 10 percent of their positions are currently available.
The Cape and Islands are already in high demand for workers, with its 5,000 J-1 visas awarded in 2018 representing one in twenty of the 100,000 awarded across the nation.
According to Niedzwiecki, himself the descendant of immigrants from Poland, an obstacle to the successful integration of migrant families is an inefficient federal work authorization process, which leaves migrants unable to work and disproportionately burdens town governments.
“We need immigration in order for the economy to grow nationally, at a state level certainly, and on a regional level we just aren’t having enough babies,” said Niedzwiecki. “But if they’re not allowed to work that creates a drain on public resources, it creates a strain on communities, and it holds back the families that are coming here because they are just trying to create a better life for themselves and their families.”
The White House announced this past weekend that the Department of Homeland Security will be sending a team to Boston to assess the migrant crisis following calls for federal assistance by state officials.
To listen to the full interview with Niedzwiecki, click here.
By, Matthew Tomlinson, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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