In the wake of new visa requirements facing Jamaican nationals many feel that are being painted with the same brush as hoodlums.

But West Indian Association president, Trevor Fyfe, who is also a Jamaican, was in support of Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister's move.

Mr. Fyfe said: "It is regrettable. Some people may feel that Jamaicans are being singled out, but unfortunately the statistics have shown that it had to be done and Bermuda had a right to protect her borders.

"Jamaicans, who were law abiding, are currently seen in a negative light, but Jamaica has some of the most brilliant minds and they are also very progressive. In the long run this move will bring Jamaicans back into a more positive light.

"There is a hard core element who will go everywhere and who give the rest who are hard working and positive a bad name and they need to be weeded out.

"I am so tired of having to deal with this, every time I open a newspaper or turn on the radio, the hoodlums are being discussed negatively. Something had to be done about them and I am in support of the move."

Mr. Fyfe added that Jamaicans who were here legitimately would not have a problem travelling back and forth.

Along the same lines, some Jamaicans felt it was a little harsh, but respected that Bermuda needed to do what she had to do to get rid of the ruffians that were making it hard for everyone else.

Norbert Grapine, a mason, said: "To me it seemed pretty harsh, but if this is what they have to do, to weed out the bad ones - then they have to do what they have to do. If you look at all of the Jamaicans here, there is only a small percentage of bad ones who run up and down causing a lot of trouble.

"They are reason and the cause of the new visa requirements, they have made it hard for law abiding citizens. Unfortunately we are all being painted with the same brush."

"Unfortunately the good were having to suffer for the bad. Bermuda is a small place, surely if they wanted to get rid of the bad Jamaicans, they could," said Eeesiel Bailey.

But, Mr. Bailey, who is a chef on the Island, added that he thought it would be difficult when his friends or family members wanted to visit.

Another man felt that contrary to popular belief Jamaicans were not the main importers of drugs into Bermuda.

The man who did not want to be named said: "There are so many people other than Jamaicans who are importing drugs into the Island. In order for a Jamaican to bring drugs to this Island he must first have a Bermudian contact, there is no way that he will make that kind of journey without one. So this is why I say Jamaicans are being singled out and why this is not fair.

"First America made it a requirement that all Jamaicans have visas, then Britain and now Bermuda. It is the system and there is not much that we can do about it."

The Jamaican man, who is married to a Bermudian, added: "The new visa requirements rules should be for all non-Bermudians, not just Jamaicans, who is to say that people of other nationalities are not bringing in drugs, but sometimes the good have to suffer for the bad in certain things.

"Sometimes Jamaicans were looked at harshly because they were seen as being aggressive, but we are not the ones who were in trouble all the time, it is Bermudians. Jamaicans work and a lot of Bermudian men do not."