was raised at a forum on immigration policies and employment last night.

The call was heard by 40 people in attendance at a forum held at the Bermuda Industrial Union headquarters.

"It is very important there be a formal policy on immigration matters and expatriate workers,'' said Mr. Walton Brown, head of the Committee for Independence. "I have not seen any written document which relates to hiring that Bermudians could go to in addressing concerns and challenging what Government does.'' Mr. Brown described two types of foreign workers.

He said unlike the manager, the labourer is highly susceptible to abuse and often paid very low wages and this should be prevented.

"They are in a position which could possibly be held by a Bermudian and (they) bring down the overall wage categories of Bermudians. There is no Government policy to ensure any protection is afforded to persons in that category.'' Mr. Brown said some advertisements are slanted to a type of person, and that Government officers should be more accessible to the public.

"Bermuda is a very secretive society and one of the chief culprits is Government,'' he said. "We have an obligation, a right to know what's going on...to avoid the generation of a great deal of myths.

Opposition Senator Alex Scott said it was time Bermuda did away with the concept of `Bermuda Inc.' "It is a management approach to this Country consistent with the way this Country structured the 1956 draft of the Immigration and Protection Act. The object of the Act is to modify the activities of the contract worker, nothing is said about the protection of the Bermudian in his Country.

"I think the average citizen is not provided the protection we should receive, expect to receive and must receive....I'm not talking just about black Bermudians who are being victimised, in the work place, white brothers are being victimised also.'' Former National Liberal Party MP Mr. Austin Thomas said: "I would like to see our civil servants `freed up' so they can participate. I take the view that information is hard to come by and slow to be given out. I would like to see all departments of Government buy time if necessary on television and inform Bermudians as to what policies are in place.'' Minister of Labour and Home Affairs the Hon. Irving Pearman defended the Immigration Act.

"The Act is designed to control the non-Bermudian but that in my view automatically gives protection to Bermudians.''