The Bermuda Immigration and Protection Amendment Act 2013 was passed in the Senate essentially removing the licensing requirement for mixed-status couples to buy land.Home Affairs Minister Michael Fahy told Senators yesterday that preliminary figures indicate that 2,300 acres of land in Bermuda is owned or held by restricted persons.But Sen Fahy stressed that the preliminary figures need to be “reworked” to take into consideration the issue of condominium developments.“A purchase of a unit in a condo development by a restricted person was counted as the entire acreage of the development rather than that unit in question,” said the Minister.“We need to remember that the previous Government raised the acreage from 2,000 to 2,500 without knowing accurately the figures themselves.“So it is disingenuous at best to say somehow this change is discriminating against Bermudians. This was a love tax — plain and simple.“Should a non-Bermudian spouse become a restricted person they need to apply for a licence so there is protection.“This is a throne speech initiative — a promise made and a promise delivered,” he said.The changes in the amendment repealed controversial provisions forcing married couples in which one person is a non-Bermudian to get a licence before purchasing land.Sen Fahy noted yesterday that the number of licences issued for the purchase of a second or third property in Bermuda under the regime is around three.Said Sen Fahy: “As a result of changes to the principal Act, the Amendment Act 2012 and the Code of Practice will now fall away. “The date on which the Bermuda Immigration and Protection (Appeal) Rules 2013 came into operation was March 4, 2013.