A young woman cried as she shared fears that her father would be sent back to the Azores after 29 years and never again see his grandchildren.

A longtime Jamaican resident told of being discriminated against as a non-Bermudian, a black, and again as a West Indian.

And a 28-year British resident told how he even had the right to vote, but had been denied Bermuda status four times.

No solutions were found, but many aspects of the long-term resident problem were spelled out at last night's Human Rights Commission annual public forum at Cathedral Hall.

"This is not a done deal,'' Ms Anna Faria of the Portuguese Bermudian Organisation told about 150 people in attendance at the end of the meeting.

"This is by no means ending here.'' Long-term residents were encouraged to write to the Human Rights Commission and put their names forward if they were willing to serve on a pressure group.

The panelists were Miss Katherine Cordeiro, a 20-year-old woman born in Bermuda who did not receive status until she turned 19, and Mrs. Shurnette Caines of the West Indian Association, who came to Bermuda from Jamaica as an adult, married a Bermudian, and has lived here for 27 years.

Canon James Francis, the chairman of the HRC, said unsuccessful attempts were also made to get representatives from the English and European communities.

Miss Cordeiro and Mrs. Caines told their stories, and many more came from the audience, as some long-term residents fought back tears to speak.

"It hurts,'' said one young woman. She was afraid each time her father's work permit came up for renewal, "because I think he's going to be turned out.

"Why do I have to live in fear? I want him to know my kids.'' Bermudians also spoke up. Mrs. Aurelia Burch, a longtime Progressive Labour Party candidate, said blacks in Bermuda had "put up with all this sort of thing for years and years and years.

"We're long, long, long term,'' she said. "We all need the support of one another.'' College lecturer Mr. Walton Brown said long-term residents had to understand that many Bermudians feared that addressing their problems would threaten the birthrights of Bermudians. By telling of their traumas, long-term residents could help make Bermudians understand, he said.

Human Affairs Minister Jerome Dill said Government was "presently wrestling with'' the long-term problem, and an announcement could be expected soon.

Shadow Labour and Home Affairs Minister Alex Scott told the long-term residents: "We have to find a marriage that satisfies both yourself and Bermudians.''