Government is soft-pedalling away from its hard-line stance on term limits for expats, Shadow Immigration Minister Trevor Moniz claimed yesterday.

Mr. Moniz said letters being sent out to employers detailing decisions on the fate of thousands of guest workers showed that the Progressive Labour Party's plan to turf many out of the country after a six-year stay was "unworkable".

"They have definitely done a volte-face, a turnaround," he said. The policy they put forward wasn't workable. It's just facing reality."

Mr. Moniz described the original plan to make it mandatory for foreign workers to leave the Island after six years unless they were granted an extension or waiver as "electioneering".

And he said the letters from Assistant Chief Immigration Officer Rozy Azhar to businesses suggested a turnaround in a number of areas. The letters reveal a change of policy regarding the spouses of permanent residents and the spouses of key employees already granted a waiver or extension, who will now be eligible for waivers themselves.

"They talk the talk but they can't walk the walk," said Mr. Moniz of the Government. "They made all of this noise about 'crackdown, crackdown, crackdown' but the truth is because of the economy they not in a position to do that. All the rhetoric was totally over the top. It was totally unnecessary.

"Obviously there will be people who, after six or nine years, will have to go from whence they came but clearly it's a much softer policy than was originally stated. We went through a lot of intimidation for no reason. They have had to back off on many aspects."

The changes to the policy are the result of close consultation between Government and international businesses on the Island.

Bermuda Employers' Council president William DeSilva said yesterday he could not comment until a meeting of the council's executive next Thursday.

Employees whose application for a waiver or extension is refused can appeal to the Chief Immigration Officer. Figures on the number of extensions and waivers so far granted by the Department of Immigration and on how many workers have not been granted an exception and will have to leave the Island were not available yesterday.

Robert Horton, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Immigration, said: "We are not able to advise re: a publication date, if any, for the overall numbers. Our duty is to advise the employer of the status of the various applications. The employer, in turn, advises the work permit holder."

Labour and Immigration Minister Derrick Burgess was unavailable for interview yesterday.

[bul]Are you an employer who has received one of the Department of Immigration letters or a work permit holder whose fate has been decided? If so, we want to hear from you. Email news[AT]royalgazette.bm or call 278-0137.