PLP Press Conference On Immigration

“The PLP remains committed to putting Bermudians first,” PLP Party Leader and Premier David Burt said during a recent conference, which he held alongside Minister Jason Hayward and Candidate for C8 Lauren Hayward Bell.

Premier David Burt’s statement

For the past seven years, the Progressive Labour Party has been steadfast in protecting the jobs, opportunities, and future of Bermudians. Our government has worked tirelessly to ensure that Bermudians are at the front of the line for employment, training, and advancement.

When Bermudians needed support the most, Michael Fahy and the OBA cut scholarships and funding for education, turning their backs on young Bermudians striving for a better future. In stark contrast, the PLP reinvested in scholarships and training, giving more Bermudians the chance to get hired, promoted, and build successful careers here at home.

When Bermudian entertainers saw their protections weakened under the OBA, the PLP restored them. And we went further, expanding the protection job categories to ensure Bermudians had priority access to opportunities in their own country. The out-of-touch OBA questioned why we would do such a thing. But the answer is simple: Bermudians must always come first.

The difference between the PLP and the OBA could not be clearer. The PLP has always outlined our plans and delivered on our promises—plans that put Bermudians first. The OBA, on the other hand, offers vague promises and no clear vision for how they would address the issues that matter most to Bermudians: housing, healthcare, the cost of living, and jobs.

Nowhere is this difference more apparent than in our respective approaches to immigration reform.

The OBA would have you believe there’s no difference between us, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The PLP supports residential rights for long-term residents. That’s why it was the PLP Government that implemented Permanent Resident Certificates [PRCs] in 2000. But the OBA, with Michael Fahy as the minister responsible for immigration, pushed to grant full Bermudian status to long-term residents through their infamous “Pathways to Status” initiative—a policy that brought our country to a standstill in 2016.

Granting Bermudian status means unrestricted property ownership rights and the right to vote. Such a policy would fundamentally alter the social and economic fabric of our island. The One Bermuda Alliance wanted to redefine what it means to be Bermudian, forcing through changes without proper consultation. If given the chance, they will try to do it again.

In contrast, the PLP has always supported bipartisan immigration reform. When the One Bermuda Alliance introduced their divisive policy in 2016, we tabled an emergency motion in the House of Assembly, calling for a bipartisan approach.

The One Bermuda Alliance rejected that motion, choosing to forge ahead without listening to our people. But when the Progressive Labour Party returned to office, we made good on our promise. We established a joint parliamentary committee, including OBA members, to ensure immigration policy was shaped fairly and reflectively of Bermudian interests.

The OBA hopes you will forget their past. They hope you will forget how they tried to force through Pathways to Status without consultation. They hope you will forget how they insulted Bermudians who spoke out, calling us xenophobic. But PLP and our 36 candidates have not forgotten.

We remember the protests. We remember the betrayal. We remember the silence when Bermudians demanded answers.

The OBA’s approach to immigration is not just wrong—it is also dangerous. That is not just my opinion, it is the opinion of the PLP and is evident in other jurisdictions, especially the Cayman Islands. Cayman implemented Pathways to Status style immigration reform that the One Bermuda Alliance tried to copy. What was the result?

Housing costs have skyrocketed, crime has risen, and opportunities for locals have diminished. And most importantly of all, born Caymanians are now a minority in their own country.

Is that the future you want for Bermuda? Because that’s exactly the future the One Bermuda Alliance is offering.

Let me be clear—the PLP is not opposed to growth. The Minister of Economy and Labour is right that we need more jobs in Bermuda and more people working in Bermuda to strengthen our economy.

But needing more workers doesn’t mean giving away Bermudian status. There are ways to grow our economy while keeping Bermudians at the heart of our success. That is the balance the PLP has delivered and the balance we seek to maintain.

Unlike the One Bermuda Alliance, the Progressive Labour Party listens. We are not rigid in our approach. We will consult, ask for feedback, and adjust our policies when Bermudians raise concerns. We’ve done it before, and we’ll continue to do it because our commitment is to you, the people of Bermuda. Our priority is to protect Bermudian jobs and ensure every Bermudian has the opportunity to thrive.

This is why this election matters. It’s about the future of Bermuda. It’s about whether Bermudians will remain at the centre of our island’s success or be sidelined by policies that prioritise others.

The PLP remains committed to putting Bermudians first. We will continue to protect Bermudian jobs, land, and opportunities. We will continue to grow our economy in a way that benefits Bermudians first and foremost. And we will continue to stand against any attempt to undermine the rights of our people.

Now, to speak more about the stark differences between the PLP and the OBA’s approach to immigration, I will hand it over to Minister Jason Hayward.

Minister Jason Hayward’s statement

The stakes of the next election could not be higher.

On February 18th, we will decide the future of our country. And one issue that is critical to most Bermudians is the next Government’s approach to immigration.

The Progressive Labour Party believes in a fair, measured, and Bermudian-first approach to immigration.

We believe in policies that protect Bermudian jobs, safeguard opportunities for our children and ensure that Bermuda remains a country where opportunities for Bermudians are not diminished.

That’s why we:

• Expanded and maintained closed and restricted job categories to put Bermudians first and protect Bermudian jobs and opportunities.
• Protected opportunities for Bermudian Entertainers by rolling back the OBA policy allowing businesses to bring in foreign entertainment without being required to hire Bermudians.
• Introduced the prohibition of entry order to ensure the continued security of Bermuda and safeguarding our borders.
• Introduced the Economic Investment Residential Certificate mandating non-Bermudians make a mandatory investment in Bermuda before residency.
• Restricted visitors stay for 180 days in a 12-month period, minimizing illegal residency and employment.
• Restricted Internships to non-Bermudians, creating opportunities for Bermuda youth.

The PLP Government has also taken a fair and balance approach to immigration by:

• Implementing the Mixed Status Family Legislation designed to keep families together.
• Removing the requirement for an Affidavit of Domicile for children born to Bermudian parents overseas, making it easier for children to obtain status.
• Amending eligibility requirement for Permanent Resident Certificates enabling individuals to obtain PRC after 20 years of residency or 15 years for non-Bermudian parents of Bermudian children.

Furthermore, the PLP Plans to amend the Work Permit Policy to ensure:

• The hierarchy of hiring is placed back into the policy, placing Bermudians first amongst all categories of workers. And
• Ensuring all foreign nationals who desire to work in Bermuda pass an English proficiency exam.

The PLP strongly believes that we can achieve our strategic immigration objectives without providing status to non-Bermudians. It is true that Bermuda requires a larger workforce to support the country’s aging population, but this can be achieved without granting status to non-Bermudians.

Under the PLP, we have taken a deliberate, balanced approach to immigration reform—ensuring that Bermudians are protected while creating opportunities for guest workers who contribute to our country in meaningful ways.

Under the OBA, we saw Pathways to Status—an attempt to give away Bermudian status with no real protections for Bermudians. The OBA must consider the negative consequences of giving away Bermudian status.

Bermudians fought back against Pathways to Status before. We marched together, blocked Parliament and stood shoulder to shoulder, to stop Pathways to Status and we must stand together again to ensure that the OBA’s plan for granting status never becomes a reality.

On February 18th, voters, you must decide whether you want a PLP government that puts Bermudians first in every decision we make.

Or an OBA Government who have already demonstrated that they will reduce the investment in the people of Bermuda and diminish opportunity.

On February 18th, let’s stand up again and affirm the PLP as Bermuda’s next Government.

Thank you.

Lauren Hayward Bell’s statement

Let’s talk about what’s really at stake here. Let’s talk about what it means to be a Bermudian, in our own country, looking for a fair shot—only to be told, “No.”

We have all seen it. We have all heard the stories.

The Bermudian who applies for a job they are qualified for, who has the experience, who has the skills, and is turned away—only to see that job given to someone someone brought in on a work permit.

We have seen Bermudians pushed aside, not because they aren’t good enough, but because they won’t accept unfair wages or mistreatment. Because they won’t let an employer undervalue their worth.

And at the same time, we have also seen workers from overseas—many of them desperate for opportunity—being exploited, underpaid, and mistreated in jobs that Bermudians won’t take not because we don’t want to work—but because no one should be forced to work under those conditions.

That is not fairness.

That is not justice.

And that is not who we are as a country.

So let’s be clear:

We are not anti-foreigner.

We are not xenophobic.

We are not against people coming here to contribute to our country and our economy.

What we are against—what we will always fight against—is exploitation.

We are against a system that rewards employers who bypass Bermudians for cheap labor.

We are against a system that allows work permit holders to be abused and mistreated and that keeps them silent out of fear.

We are against a system that benefits the powerful at the expense of the workers—Bermudian and non-Bermudian alike.

Because let’s tell the truth about what happens when an employer underpays a worker from overseas:

• It drives down wages for everyone.
• It creates a race to the bottom.
• It hurts Bermudians trying to build a life here.

And let’s be real: This is not just about money. It is about dignity. It is about respect. It is about whether we, as Bermudians, are given a fair shot to thrive in our own country.

And that is exactly why this government took action.

For the first time in our history, we passed Bermuda’s first-ever minimum wage—because no Bermudian, and no worker, should be forced to work for wages that cannot sustain them.

We have strengthened workers’ rights and protections—because no worker should be subject to mistreatment, intimidation, or unfair conditions.

We have stood up to the powerful —because in our Bermuda, people come before profits.

So when we talk about immigration, when we talk about work permits, when we talk about protecting Bermudian jobs—understand what we are fighting for.

We are fighting for a Bermuda where workers—ALL workers—are treated fairly.

We are fighting for a Bermuda where no one is forced to accept wages that cannot sustain them.

We are fighting for a Bermuda where Bermudians are first in line for the opportunities we have earned.

So I say this to the people who want to twist this conversation—those who want to pretend that standing up for Bermudian workers is somehow wrong or divisive:

No.

What is wrong is looking at a Bermudian trying to provide for their family, and telling them, “You are not needed You have no place in your own country.”

What is wrong is bringing in workers and treating them as if they are disposable.

What is wrong is an immigration system that has, for too long, worked for employers and corporations—but not for the people.

So our approach is simple:

• We protect Bermudian jobs and opportunities—because Bermudians deserve to thrive in our own country.
• We stand against discrimination—because no one should be denied work simply because of where they are from or what they look like.
• We demand fairness for all workers—because no one should be underpaid, overworked, or mistreated just because they don’t have the power to say no.

That is why we fought for Bermuda’s first minimum wage.

That is why we strengthened labor protections to protect workers from exploitation.

That is why we will always fight to ensure that Bermudians get the opportunities we have worked for, we have earned, and we deserve.

And that is why, on February 18th, we must send a message that in this Bermuda, under this government, workers—Bermudian and non-Bermudian alike—will be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect.

Thank you.

For full coverage of the 2025 Election and past elections, visit the links below, with comprehensive coverage available on our network website BermudaElections.com, the leading source of data and election videos.

• All: Our coverage of the 2025 General Election here
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