officers' attitudes at the airport is not satisfied with Immigration chief Mr.

Neville Smith's response to the incidents.

St. David's Islander Mr. Hans Olander said in a letter yesterday he was "disappointed'' Mr. Smith "chose to dismiss any claims of unprofessional, hostile officers at the airport''.

"The Chief Immigration Officer and (Labour and Home Affairs Minister the Hon.

Mr. Irving Pearman's) dismissal of any problem and referral to these events as simply `unpleasant cases' only condones the behaviour of those officers who for Bermuda's sake would be better employed elsewhere,'' Mr. Olander wrote.

Mr. Smith said last night he had not had any correspondence from Mr. Olander "but would be happy to meet with him''.

He added his use of the word "unpleasant'' was not intended to suggest a complaint was not important.

Mr. Olander's fiancee and daughter were locked in a hotel room overnight last month and taken off the Island the next day because they arrived without proper documents.

Mr. Olander said he was especially upset that Immigration officers refused to explain why Miss Martha Mora and two-year-old Louisa had to go back to Costa Rica.

"I consider it most unprofessional to inform a Bermudian family that their granddaughter and future daughter-in-law may not be seen by simply saying, I quote, `Oh you're here for them. They have to go back,' unquote,'' he said.

"And then refusing to discuss in person any possible resolutions other than stating that the airline is responsible and will put them on the first morning flight.'' Mr. Olander was also upset that his fiance was not allowed to tell him which hotel she was staying at, his daughter went without food and milk the whole night and no interpreter was provided -- they did not speak English.

Mr. Olander had to come up with another $3,000 to fly her back and rearrange their wedding plans.

Calling the Immigration officers he dealt with "Gestapo-like'', he claimed the problem of insufficient documents could have been sorted out by a simple change of itinerary.

"Whoever it is in Immigration mistreating visitors must realise those actions go a lot further to damage Bermuda's reputation abroad than any number of helpful, professional officers,'' Mr. Olander wrote.

Other complaints about Immigration officers which surfaced last week came from an Australian tourist accused of "visa shopping'' and a woman who flew here to seek out a hotel for a convention group. Both were turned back -- the woman allegedly being refused to have a missing document faxed here.

Mr. Smith responded on Saturday to the three incidents by saying immigration officers had a duty to "protect Bermuda''.

"It is never pleasant to be turned back ... but unfortunately there are times when we have cases that are unpleasant,'' he told The Royal Gazette .

He said once a passenger is "landed'', Bermuda -- and not the airline -- has the "burden'' of being responsible for the passenger.

Responding to the claims of rudeness, he said all of his officers recently underwent a customer services seminar and policy update.

But, he said: "If there's something wrong we really want to correct it. If a report of (unprofessional behaviour) can be substantiated then we will deal with it.''