The announcement by Michael Fahy on February 5, 2016 will go down in the history books. Not for the reasons he provided in his press release, but for the clear and unmistakable link to past attempts to economically and politically discriminate against black Bermudians, and through contemporary immigration policies to ensure a “whitening” of the Bermudian population to ensure political control.

The heightened tensions in our community precipitated by the Chief Justice’s 2014 decision on the rights of Permanent Resident’s Certificate holders to apply for Bermudian status, under Section 20B (2)(b) of the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956, plunged our society into passionate and oppositional debate. The intent of the original PRC legislation was clear and all parties, including the Department of Immigration, lawyers and the majority of PRC holders understood that intent. However, the subsequent successful challenge in the courts, and the discovery of the so-called “loophole”, allowed for a broader interpretation of the Act.

Bermuda’s history of immigration is tragic and complex. The periodic forced exportation of free black Bermudians throughout the centuries leading up to 1834; the post-emancipation efforts to increase the white population codified in law and policy; the continual attempts to legislatively disenfranchise the majority of black Bermudians from voting between 1834 to 1963; the efforts of birth control focused predominantly on the black community; the racialised immigration policies of the 20th century; the favouritism involved in grants of discretionary status from 1956 to 1989; and the contemporary attempts to water down the black Bermudian vote — all too clearly point to continuing attempts to reduce the black population and increase the white population with a view to retaining political power.

After the Chief Justice’s ruling in 2014, the Bermuda Government’s subsequent decision to immediately make 1,500 PRC holders eligible for status, without first going through major immigration reform, was perceived by many as a first step towards retaining political control through racialised immigration policies. Black Bermudians suspected that before long the Government would move to open the floodgates even wider, and last Friday those fears were realised, with the proposed changes to the legislation also ensuring future residents of Bermuda can gain their PRC and eventually Bermudian status — in effect providing Bermudian status indefinitely with no time limits or quotas in place.

Over the past 30 years more than 50 per cent of those granted Bermudian status have been white. Meanwhile, the voting population is approximately 65 per cent black, 25 per cent white and 10 per cent other. So, by the wholesale granting of status to PRCs, it will increase the share of white voters in Bermuda. Statistically, the majority of guest workers that come to Bermuda continue to be white, the proposed legislative changes by default (and many would argue by intent) ensures that there is an increasing white population on the island and polls have shown that more than 90 per cent of white voters vote for the same party. As such, the proposed legislation will affect political power in Bermuda for decades.

This decision by the minister and the Cabinet, to refuse to go the route of immigration reform and community consultation towards a national immigration plan, and instead rush through blanket rights to Bermudian status to long-term residents without quotas in place, is yet another example of Bermuda’s long history of racialised immigration policies used to ensure that power and control stay with a certain group.

Our history is riddled with economic violence committed against black Bermudians, and today it continues with high numbers of black Bermudians being reluctantly forced to emigrate to find employment. One recent estimate placed the number at 1,500. Our government’s continuing failure to monitor this exodus is a politically astute non-action, ie, by not counting those who leave, the Government can quietly ignore that the majority of those leaving are black, by default decreasing the black vote.

In Bermuda, we have seen seats won by a handful of votes. To state that the numbers are small and will have little impact is an oxymoron when looked at through the lens of political power, and this latest decision will be seen by many as one more attempt to retain political control and will only heighten the tensions in our community.

Mr Fahy quotes human rights as one of the reasons for his stance, but in doing so he fails to take into account society’s rights or the rights of Bermudians. The minister states that the amendments will bring Bermuda in line with the European Convention on Human Rights and with international standards. However, he fails to mention that every country has the right to set its own immigration standards and that out of almost 200 countries, only 30 grant citizenship at birth, with all democracies ensuring that quotas are in place.

Black Bermudians feel under attack: rampant unemployment, fewer employment opportunities, redundancies, loved ones reluctantly being forced to emigrate to support their families and families living hand-to-mouth to survive. People’s backs are against the wall and there is no further room to retreat, so there are only two choices: to give up or move forward and face what has backed you against the wall.

The very real fears and concerns of black Bermudians must be listened to, a parliamentary review must occur and a national plan on immigration commenced, with full community consultation. To continue to amend legislation that detrimentally affects a large section of Bermuda’s population is political wilfulness and shows a complete disregard for the wishes of many Bermudians. Such actions will continue only to raise tensions within our community at a time when many are at a breaking point.

Why the haste to rush through these piecemeal immigration proposals? The only reason that makes sense is the urgent need to gain votes. The Government is acting like the old Bermuda oligarchy: desperate to protect their own interests. But in the process, they are devastating the black community and destabilising the country with their rash, ill-considered plans.

Why not take the time to do the research, consult with the people, put together a well thought-out national immigration plan, which responds to both the needs of long-term residents and the needs of Bermudians?

Bermuda is not experiencing a human rights crisis, unlike the unfolding tragedy in Europe, where millions of immigrants are traumatised, homeless, without resources and starving, vulnerable to exploitation and violence, desperately seeking refuge from countries broken by war.

The immigrants in Bermuda are not homeless, they are not traumatised and they are not without resources. They have passports, they have jobs. How many of them could even be classified as working-class? The vast majority are middle-class; they are hard workers and are good people. But their plight is one in which they have found a lovely place to live and would like to stay.

In fact, the people who are desperate and hungry, the people who are losing their homes, the people who are becoming economic refugees, the people who are finding themselves increasingly without resources are Bermudians — those who already live here, those who have been living here for decades, generations. Where’s the care for their human rights?

“There is nothing anti-Bermudian about helping our family, friends and our neighbour,” Mr Fahy said.

If the minister believed this statement he would have helped our families, he would have helped our friends, he would have helped our neighbours, those who are truly desperate. It is easy to say a thing; it is easy to say you wish to help those in need. Mr Fahy’s actions are what reveal him, however, as well as his lack of actions. Who are his friends, his neighbours? Not those in need in Bermuda.

“The right thing to do” is to empower Bermudians and, through a consultative process, create a national immigration plan that fits Bermuda’s size and resources, and brings a sense of fairness and justice to all. To continue to force-feed policies that many Bermudians perceive to be a continuation of racist actions of the past is ill-advised at best, and can have serious consequences for the political stability of Bermuda.

• Lynne Winfield is the president of Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda and is writing on behalf of the organisation