Immigration Officer Mr. Neville Smith said yesterday.

And employers are only required to produce permits for their workers when requested to do so by a Police officer or an Immigration Officer, Mr. Smith told The Royal Gazette .

The top Immigration official was responding to questions in light of controversial remarks made recently by United Bermuda Party backbencher Mrs.

Grace Bell.

The Government backbencher said guest workers should be required to carry photo identification cards that would be produced on demand.

The suggestion -- which Mrs. Bell said would help fight the problem of illegal workers in Bermuda -- drew outrage from the Island's opposition parties.

(See editorial, Page 4.) National Liberal Party spokesman Mr. Graeme Outerbridge compared Mrs. Bell's "reprehensible'' proposal to the "pass cards'' that non-whites used to have to carry when going to work in parts of South Africa.

Yesterday, Shadow Labour and Home Affairs Minister Mr. Alex Scott also said the proposal had "shades of South Africa'' about it.

In making her suggestion, Mrs. Bell said Bermuda's guest workers were already required by law to carry their work permits, which are not laminated and are too big to easily fit inside a wallet.

Yesterday, Mr. Smith said that was not true.

The Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956 allows the Minister to enact regulations that would require the permits to be carried, but such regulations have not been enacted, Mr. Smith said.

A copy of the permits are issued to workers, as well as employers, in large part so that they can be used to enter Bermuda after travelling abroad, he said.

The Minister had looked at producing documents that were smaller, but "that is not under active consideration right now,'' he said.

Mr. Scott of the Progressive Labour Party said Mrs. Bell's proposal was "an inappropriate response'' to the problem of illegal workers.

Enough documents and information existed already, he said. The problem was "the apparent unwillingness'' of the Minister to go after illegal workers. If Mrs. Bell wanted to "tag'' someone, "I would certainly go along with her if she wants to put a patch on Mr. Pearman every time we find someone abusing immigration,'' Mr. Scott said.

"He'll end up with such a patchwork coat that even he'll decide it's time to do something.'' Labour and Home Affairs Minister the Hon. Irving Pearman was off the Island yesterday and not available for comment.