Statement on Minister's latest comments

The individuals behind the “Supporting Fair Immigration Reform” Facebook group and our members are satisfied that the Minister of Home Affairs wishes to continue the work of the Immigration Reform Working Group rather than restart the process from scratch. However, the Minister’s comments did raise a few questions. First, we are concerned about there being yet another consultation period pushing the deadline for reform back yet again. We were supposed to have proposals on mixed status families and young persons by May 2016. This was pushed back to late 2016. Now a proposal is due in late 2017, with legislation unlikely until 2018. Perhaps with a former Working Group member as Minister, this will finally be when policies are pursued. Second, we note that the Minister has allowed the Working Group to continue work on a survey to obtain “sound statistics”. Although references were made in the past to the need for data, this is the first time we have heard about a survey. We do ask: what types of questions are being asked in this survey? How is the survey being conducted? Have any responses been received? Transparency should be the order of the day. We tried to assist the Working Group last year by reaching out to our 2,500 members and 5,000 petition supporters. We conducted a survey and shared the results with the Working Group. We also understand that other community groups assisted with sharing data to the Working Group. Given that the Working Group has had this data in their possession for almost a year, we worry that this exercise could lead to further delay. As we noted in the past, there is no such thing as perfect data. Third, if the Minister is keen to pursue a “principles first” immigration policy, then we would counsel him and the Working Group to not get caught up in what could be a fruitless exercise to obtain perfect data. Certain classes of persons are either deserving of Bermudian status or they are not. The Group should work from first principles and determine which categories of persons should benefit. Whether it is 5 people or 500, they are each deserving of their human rights being protected. As we have stated before, by continuing to do nothing to resolve the issue of “mixed status” families and other cases of young people, Bermuda remains in breach of international human rights standards and norms. When a person lives in a country for a long time, puts roots down in the community, makes friends and has family in Bermuda – their right to respect for private and family life is engaged. When these people have no pathway to long-term security, their rights are infringed. In our submission to the Working Group, we recommended that there be a direct pathway to status for persons born in Bermuda or who arrived at a young age, and who lived here their entire lives. These people so are thoroughly assimilated into Bermuda’s cultural and social fabric, and they know no other home. This would address nearly all persons in “mixed status” families and other categories of persons deserving of protection. We once again implore and urge the Working Group and the Government to consider this vitally needed reform.