Within a few hours of posting our story on licences on The Royal Gazette's Facebook page on Thursday, we received almost 100 messages.

Shocked readers — most seemingly unaware of the looming June 22 deadline — expressed disbelief at the penalties for those who don't comply and claimed Government was discriminating against locals who marry foreigners. Here are a selection of their views:

Beverly Dyer: "I think this is utterly ridiculous. Government is now telling you if you marry a foreigner you have to pay!"

Paul Kennedy: "This is ludicrous! A $1 million fine? Is this some sort of April fool's joke done late?"

Greg Pearman: "Up next, paying a licence to marry someone outside your race. Double if you're black and marrying a white person."

Linda Waldroup: "A little excessive on the fine, don't you think?"

Taria Pearman: "This law has been in effect for a few years. It's supposed to help preserve land in Bermuda.

"After ten years of marriage, the non-Bermudian spouse can apply for status, get it and then the couple will be free to buy as many properties as they like. I agree the fine is high, but the law has been around since 2007."

Tina DeSilva: "This is ridiculous. All this is doing is to make people want to leave the Island and take their dollars elsewhere."

Scott Roy: "Next Government will say that Bermudians can only marry Bermudians."

Deborah Daniels: "This is the first I heard of this. How long has this been public knowledge? What is the purpose? Ridiculous level of fine. How many people could actually afford to pay that?"

Dwayne Trott: "Any way you slice it, it is discrimination. I am a Bermudian who is being discriminated against because I am married to a non-Bermudian. I do not have the same rights as a Bermudian who is married to another Bermudian — absolutely ridiculous!"

Heather Marshall: "People will take their money elsewhere in the world and buy a house abroad and usually end up moving off the Island. They go to countries where they are thankful for any money people contribute back into the economy."

Raenette Butterfield: "What's the reason for the licence? Why all of a sudden? Why do Bermudians that have foreigners living in their home need to get a licence, especially if they are living in Bermuda legally?"

Connie Martins Vieira: "Bermuda surely is another world. I can't believe what I have just read.

"After living in several different countries during the past 24 years, this tops all that I have seen and lived through."

Beverly Dyer: "Is [Premier] Ewart [Brown] going to pay the tax or is there some clause in there which will make him exempt from this totally ridiculous new ruling? His wife is not Bermudian!"

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