The Opposition’s Fight Against PRC Holders Opinion by the One Bermuda Alliance The OBA Government’s decision to allow certain Permanent Resident Certificate holders to apply for status was not taken lightly, but it was taken without reservation because it was based on a clear interpretation of the law, with due regard for justice and human rights and because, in the final analysis, it is the compassionate and right thing to do. Nonetheless, the Opposition continues to distort the facts around the decision, trying to impair fair consideration of the issue. These are the main distortions: 1. There are “many thousands” of people involved. Not so. Immigration records indicate that 1,455 PRCs are potentially eligible for status under Section 20B of the Immigration and Protection Act. The number of children who would be eligible for status is not known, but is believed to be small, given that in order to apply for status on the basis of their parent’s new status, they would have to be 18 years old but under the age of 22, ordinarily resident in Bermuda for five years immediately preceding their application and without a conviction for any offence that shows they are morally unsuitable. Spouses of these PRC holders who are not Bermudian would have to have been married to their newly Bermudian husbands or wives for 10 years from the date of their status grant to be eligible. 2. Granting status to these individuals will take jobs from Bermudians. Not so. PRCs already have full freedom of employment. They already have jobs. They would not be taking jobs from Bermudians. 3. PRC holders will make it more difficult for Bermudians to own real estate. Not so. Many PRCs already own property. Status would simply allow them to purchase real estate without top-of-the-market-only restrictions, which now limit them. New real estate activity can in any event help to restore the value to people’s homes that has been lost in the depressed market of recent years. 4. The decision on PRCs is a “power grab” for votes, as PRC holders will vote for the OBA. Not so. No one could possibly tell how these people will vote now or into the future. They come from a variety of social and economic backgrounds, and from countries all around the world – Barbados, the UK, the United States, Jamaica, Portugal and Canada to name a few. 5. The OBA could quickly act to make “this problem” go away. Not so. The moment the PLP passed the amendment to the Immigration Act that created this situation, it became the law of the land. Any legislation we try to pass now, especially since the Chief Justice interpreted the legislation the way he did, will be seen as the Government of Bermuda trying to take back rights already conferred by the amendment. That’s not what we’re about. In any case, it is the right thing to do. 6. Bermudians don’t want PRC holders to be given status. Not so. An island-wide poll conducted by the marketing firm Global Research during the week of July 12 reported that more than half of Bermudians – 57% of us – supported the granting of status to PRC holders who had been resident in Bermuda since at least July 31st 1989. Only a third of us – 33% – said they should not be granted status. The top reasons for supporting the grant of status to PRC holders were first, they have been contributing to Bermuda in a positive way for many years. Second, after more than 20 years, they are part of the community. Third, 25 years is a long time to be living in a country without being considered a part of it. Global Research reported that people thought the Minister should view PRC holders on a case-by-case basis and perform background checks before granting status. The Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon Michael Fahy, responded: “That is exactly what the procedures in place will see to.”
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 11:56:41 +0000
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