nationals are leaving the Island because of the hatred they encountered in the summer meetings on long term residents give cause for concern.

Neither Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox, nor long-time Portuguese community leader Eddie DeMello have heard exactly the same thing, although Mr. DeMello has acknowledged that he helps some 15 to 16 families a year to pack up and leave.

Whether it is happening or not, it should be clear that long term residents, regardless of where they come from, have been left in a vacuum for too long, not just by the current Government but previous ones as well.

This newspaper has consistently supported Ms Cox's decision to hold the meetings, which at worst revealed the depth of feeling on the issue. That was unpleasant for some long term residents, but it also demonstrates that this is a serious issue which will not be easily resolved.

Fear lies at the heart of this debate. Born Bermudians fear that granting further rights to long term residents will mean the loss of jobs, property and opportunity.

Long term residents fear that failure to grant them security will result in the loss of their jobs and homes.

These feelings are different sides of the same coin. They do not mean that the Government cannot make the right decision, even if it is unpopular.

Not all long term residents are saints. Nor are all born Bermudians. Making a decision on the basis of anecdotal evidence and emotion would be wrong and dangerous. Equally, it will never be solved by setting new conditions or introducing minor amendments to the laws governing immigration.

Bermuda needs to make a non-ambiguous decision on the issue; long term residents either will receive rights when they have lived here for a certain period of time or they will not.

This newspaper believes that Bermuda owes long term residents the basic human rights to which people anywhere are entitled.

People who have lived in Bermuda for 20 or 30 years, raised families, paid taxes and contributed to the wellbeing of the community have earned the right to own property and to vote for the people who pass the laws which govern them, tax them and decide how to spend their money.

They should not be treated as second class citizens, subject to political whims; living yearly with the uncertainty of whether they will be driven off the Island or not and being prevented from having full lives.

There should be one law which states that people who have been here for a certain period of time are entitled to the same rights which born Bermudians have as a matter of course.