An amnesty for illegal immigrants is on the cards, Labour and Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox has promised.

Ms Cox said yesterday she had been asked by lawyer Delroy Duncan -- acting for the Jamaican and West Indian Associations -- to allow a list of illegal residents to leave on their own.

And she told MPs: "I gave an undertaking that if I received a list of the persons, and on the basis that they were leaving voluntarily and at their expense and not at Government expense, then I would agree to not deporting them per se.'' Ms Cox declined later to say how many people were prepared to quit Bermuda of their own bat. But she told the House of Assembly: "I have been informed that there may be a relatively large number of individuals who have overstayed their permission to be in Bermuda and who now wish to return home.

"I am told that they feel they are being prevented from doing so for fear of being arrested as they leave.'' But she insisted: "I'm not unsympathetic to such individuals and certainly it serves no-one's interest to prevent them from leaving.

"They will therefore be permitted to leave of their own volition and at their own expense.'' And she warned: "Under no circumstances will the Government provide financial assistance to facilitate this and those who are unable to leave under the terms I have described will be deported.'' Ms Cox added, however, that, while Bermuda can make representations to the US and had done so, it was a matter for them who they chose to allow to travel to America.

Ms Cox was speaking after a controversial joint Police/Immigration Department swoop last weekend saw 16 people -- mostly Jamaican -- arrested.

Three Jamaicans were also arrested at the airport on Tuesday as they attempted to leave Bermuda to return to Jamaica via the US in the wake of the early hours dragnet. Ms Cox, however, denied that the arrest of the three was an organised "sting operation''.

She said: "None had a valid visa for entry into the United States, and on further scrutiny, it became clear to the US Immigration officers that all three had overstayed permission to be in Bermuda -- in the case of two of the individuals by more than one year.

"In the circumstances, they were correctly handed over.'' Ms Cox defended the original round-up -- and the conduct of Police.

She said: "I've heard it said that the operation involved the use of unnecessary force and resulted in the individuals arrested having to leave their houses and go to the Police station in their underwear.

"I categorically deny that -- all those who were arrested were given sufficient time to dress and I am not aware of any incidents where excessive force was used against them.'' And she insisted: "I would be negligent if, as the Minister also with responsibility for the Police and Reserves, I did not speak out to say how very proud I was of their demeanour, their willingness and their sensitivity to carry out their duties...fairly.'' Minister offers amnesty Ms Cox also denied the joint swoop targeted Jamaicans in particular -- and was a sign of a hardening of attitudes to citizens of that country.

Ms Cox said: "I can quite understand the concerns of the West Indian Association and Jamaican Association, but I wish to assure them, as I do all foreigners in Bermuda, that if visitors to our country satisfy the conditions prescribed by the Department of Immigration and the laws of this country, they have nothing to fear.'' Ms Cox added: "Much has been said that only some of the persons apprehended were lawfully detained. "While I will be mute on some of the details, I will say that when persons are not able to produce the documents requested this raises queries. And where, for instance, persons may state that they are married and a condition for getting a spouse's letter is that persons are co-habiting as man and wife and they are not resident in the same household, this also causes inquiry, especially in the light of the number of marriages in name only which are said to occur.'' And she warned: "We're not in a position to do a clean sweep simultaneously on everyone, but we have a plan and a programme to continue with our efforts to monitor and police areas of concern in the breaking of Immigration laws.'' Ms Cox added: "That commitment remains and it is no xenophobic outrage against any particular group indiscriminately to the exclusion of others.

"Those who are here legitimately and are part of our community are welcomed and they are not being asked to leave.''