The United Bermuda Party has branded the Government's decision to allow foreigners to purchase Coco Reefs condos hypocritical in light of the licence requirements for Bermudians who wish to purchase land with expatriate spouses.

It was recently announced that Coco Reef Resort received a 70-year extension on their lease of the publicly owned Bermuda College land, brining it to 120 years.

The main reason for the extension, according to the President of the Board of Governors of the Bermuda College, Walton Brown, is to ensure foreigners would buy the 66 leaseback condos which will soon be built.

The condos range from two to four-bedrooms and their owners are required to lease them back to the hotel for six months for the first five years of ownership. The owners are allowed to choose the months they wish not to use and after five years are no longer required to lease the condo back to the resort. The owners will split any profits made from the leaseback with the hotel.

Yesterday Opposition MP Grant Gibbons said: "The Progressive Labour Party Government has continued to push forward the renegotiated Coco Reef lease deal with the full expectation the public will swallow it without a whimper. The latest revelation is Government's approval of a Coco Reef condo leaseback arrangement with minimal conditions that amounts to a likely handover of Bermuda College public land to foreign owners.

"At the same time, Government is imposing severe restrictions on the freedom of Bermudians married to non-Bermudians to own property, with draconian penalties for non-compliance. It is deeply hypocritical."

Recently the Government has been criticised for an amendment to the Immigration and Protection Act, which requires mixed-status couples to obtain a licence for first homes and any additional homes obtained before June 22, 2007.

Since that date, Bermudians married to expatriates have not been allowed to have more than one property.

Those who failed to obtain a licence before June 22, 2010 could face a jail term of up to five years and/or a fine of up to $1 million.

Mixed-status couples have complained the amendment is discriminatory and Shadow Attorney General Trevor Moniz has said he believes Government should extend the deadline and rethink the law.