Shadow Minister of Immigration and External Affairs Walton Brown said he wondered whether he had “dozed off” during the Government’s Throne Speech announcement in relation to immigrations measures to protect Bermudians, as there was so little attention paid to it.

Speaking in the House of Assembly, Mr Brown said there had been “nothing substantive whatsoever” in the speech with regards to protecting Bermudians’ jobs, and he questioned whether this amounted to a “contempt for the people”.

He said the only real mention of safeguarding Bermudians was the one statement: “The Ministry of Home Affairs will oversee new opportunities for Bermudian workers when the new work permit policy comes into effect on 1 December, requiring all employers seeking work permits to advertise on its jobs board.”

Mr Brown said he had reached out to the Immigration Minister to offer a collaborative approach to forming more protective policies for Bermudians.

He added that any immigration policy “has to be created in such a way that the people who live here have a place of priority.

“People are hurting — they want to know where their jobs are coming from.” Mr Brown also told the House to “learn the lessons from ’68 and ’77”, when riots were born out of unrest.

Referring to new legislation allowing businesses to fast track permits and allow new businesses to bring in their own employees without permit applications, Mr Brown said: “Don’t try to spin this as I am anti-business. I’m not saying you can’t bring in people. Yes, bring in the critical staff … but having a company isn’t just about making a profit … you must have a connection to your community and an obligation to your community.”