I was born and raised in St David’s, shaped by a close-knit community with deep history, quiet strength and untapped potential. Like many Bermudians, I left to pursue education abroad. I earned a master’s degree in management and spent years building businesses, collaborating with global partners and gaining the kind of hands-on leadership experience that Bermuda says it wants.

Eventually, I came back — not because the pathway was clear, but because I knew the value of what I had to offer and I believed in the importance of bringing it home.

Since returning, I have worked to serve the community that raised me. From advocating for the redevelopment of Marginal Wharf, to reimagining unused public assets, to championing St David’s as Bermuda’s tenth parish, my goal has been to contribute — not just with ideas, but with action.

But I have to be honest; the path home was not easy. And for far too many Bermudians living abroad, it still isn’t.

We say that our people are our greatest asset. But are they? If we really believed that, why is it so difficult for Bermudians to come back and thrive?

Let’s talk about the reality. Many Bermudians abroad are highly educated, deeply experienced and passionate about contributing to their country. But when they look home, they see unaffordable housing, high living costs, a lack of job opportunities in their fields and few real incentives to return. The cost of living is one of the biggest barriers to return, and it is pricing out our own people.

What we are seeing isn’t just a brain drain; it’s a slow, systemic pushout of Bermudians with global experience who feel there is no room for them here. That’s not just a missed opportunity; it is a failure in vision.

Yet there are two who returned, against the odds.

Jennifer Woods, the new chief executive of the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, came back after years abroad gaining world-class business experience. She now leads one of our most influential institutions. Her return should be celebrated, yes, but also studied. Because there are many others like her who have not come back, and may never — because the system doesn’t encourage it.

Kimberly Foley, MD is one of the most decorated physicians in Bermuda. A pulmonologist, critical-care specialist, sleep apnoea expert and internal medicine doctor, she chose to return home to serve her country. That decision, like mine, was rooted in purpose, not convenience.

Both Jennifer and Kimberly are proof of what is possible. But neither benefited from a clear national strategy to attract and retain global Bermudian talent. Their returns happened in spite of the system, not because of it.

That’s the core issue.

There is no intentional, sustained effort to map, engage or reintegrate Bermudians abroad into our economy, institutions or long-term development. No framework. No registry. No structured support. No pathway home.

And that’s what Bermuda needs most right now.

We don’t need another report or committee; we need political will, private-sector alignment and the courage to act.

Not some day, but now!

Because what is at stake isn’t just jobs or headlines; it’s Bermuda’s future. It’s whether we choose to grow from within or continue outsourcing leadership, innovation and cultural identity while our own people are sidelined abroad.

I returned because I believe in St David’s. I believe in Bermuda. And I believe that our most valuable resource is not a corporate investment or a policy document; it is our people.

But until we create an intentional pathway home, we will keep losing the very people we claim to value most.

So, I ask: do we really believe Bermudians are our greatest resource? And if we do, what are we waiting for?

It’s time to bring them home.

• Maurice Foley is an opposition senator and was the One Bermuda Alliance candidate for St David’s (Constituency 3) in the February 2025 General Election