The only difference is that those without commonwealth citizenship will have to go through the process of naturalization as well. It’s already been stated that those with 20+ years will be given transitional status since they are already here and eligible.

Directing your question to me is wasteful energy – - I am not an elected official thus I am not in a position to move forward with any immigration reform. I have my suggestions which have already been shared with my area MP – I suggest you do the same.

Ignorance is not always due to a lack of education.

If Bermuda gives status to anyone at all, what would be more fair than to give it to those who have been here the longest – many of whom were born here – without prejudice due to skin colour or bank balance;

And they already live here among you.

What would be a more reasonable alternative? Please, anyone?

You PLP are too ignorant for words. Pick a battle where you have a point to make you ignorant fools.

History reports that Bermuda was founded and settled.

Inconvenient truth…

I am not sure that anyone group of human can claim rights to being indigeniously native–or have I missed something here.

In any event–this issue is about HUMAN RIGHTS–

Let’s be human about this–the argument taking place is crusted with dust!!!

That statement is false. People have it better in Bermuda and they don’t want to go back to their homeland

So many important questions unanswered by the man who gets put in place when the Minister of Home Affairs wants to tuck his tail and run.

It does need to be done in pieces but OBA has jumped over key pieces that should be in place for data collection and instead rely on stakeholder hearsay.

First thing that should be done is implement a payroll tax claim form that must be mandatory for every adult resident to submit. The form’s data would be attached to everyone’s social insurance and collect all information such as employed, unemployed who their employers are and how much income they make from them etc. etc. etc. Basically an income tax form that allows the government realistically look at the islands employment situation. The same as an income tax form there can be benefits for those who prove they are really struggling and investigations and penalties for those who flaunt the system. This data collected can find out which job sectors really have no local fit to work in them and which do. At the moment OBA is going by false information and if ask to prove their claims through true data they would not be able to.

Carry on, OBA. You are doing the right thing — which isn’t always the easy thing.

If the intent of the changes to Immigration policy is political neutrality, then OBA should make the effective date of any changes to be after the next General Election.

On that basis, whatever changes are made will not impact Bermuda’s next General Election.

This legislation is not comprehensive immigration reform – real truth.

This legislation is short-sighted…the impact of this law will be truly felt in another 20 to 30 years when the children of that group of “about 683 individuals at most”seek to fortify their residency in Bermuda. That number will continue to balloon every year over until the concept of “native Bermudian” is a “foreign” concept.