A prominent business leader claimed the ruling Progressive Labour Party’s failure to address an immigration crisis has dealt an “unconscionable” human rights blow to the Portuguese community.Robert Pires, the chief executive of Bermuda Investment Advisory Services, said that mixed-status families remained the biggest challenge of the Portuguese community, and that many of them have lived on the island for decades without citizenship.He added that the slowness of reform was partly because of racial hostility, which he claimed that the PLP has historically tried to exploit.The PLP government has repeatedly delayed tabling a Bill designed to ease the plight of mixed-status families.Wayne Caines, the Minister of National Security, insisted that the Government was committed to immigration reform and must “strike the right balance”.Mr Caines denounced the suggestion of a racial agenda as inflammatory and irresponsible.Mr Pires, a fourth-generation Bermudian, was speaking as the island prepares to celebrate the 170th anniversary of the arrival of the first Portuguese immigrants to Bermuda.He told The Royal Gazette: “The biggest challenge for us is mixed-status families, but I don’t think it is a priority for this government, otherwise they would have brought the legislation forward. From a human rights perspective, this should have been dealt with 20 years ago. “Many of these people have been 30 to 40 years on the island without any citizenship, which is just unconscionable.”The businessman added: “These are not illegal immigrants, such as what [Donald] Trump is worried about coming across the Mexican border. These people gave their time and paid their taxes, but they have no rights.”Mr Caines responded: “The Government rejects the assertion that it is not focused on delivering comprehensive immigration reform in Bermuda.“This government values the contributions of our Portuguese community, and also wholeheartedly rejects the notion that we are not sensitive to the immigration issues facing them.”Mr Pires was one of three Portuguese people to be awarded the Medal of Merit Award at the General Assembly of the World Council of the Houses of the Azores, hosted on the island this month.He was the spokesman for the now defunct Coalition on Long-Term Residents, in which he represented the Portuguese community, joined with the West Indian and Jamaican Associations.The PLP pledged in its 2018 Throne Speech that it would address issues surrounding mixed-status families.Mr Caines has said the new legislation will “provide the justice mixed-status families deserve, while ensuring Bermudians have a place of primacy, in their homeland”.The minister initially said he would table the Bill in July, but it has remained on the back burner since then.David Burt, the Premier, did not name immigration when he revealed the items on the legislative agenda before the end of the year including, economic opportunities, the development of the St George’s marina, the consolidation of labour laws and the development of a medical cannabis regime.Mr Pires claimed that immigration reform delays are partly because of racial discrimination against the Portuguese community.He said: “The PLP has traditionally tried to exploit a divide between people of colour and those of us who are not.“It created problems for me over the years with regards to my business and work permits and hostility, from certain sectors.Mr Pires explained: I don’t have those difficulties now, but that is what happened.”However, Mr Caines responded: “Mr Pires’s racial discrimination allegations against the Government regarding our Portuguese community are inflammatory, irresponsible and unfortunate.”Bermudian-born Michael Barbosa, who cannot apply for Bermudian status because he was born on the island to non-Bermudian parents, is awaiting an outcome on his case from the Privy Council.Mr Pires said: “I am suspicious that the Government is afraid to put to the House of Assembly their plan for mixed-status families, because it might all be washed away with the decision on the Barbosa case, that everybody is waiting for.“What Bermuda is claiming is that even though this person was born in Bermuda, even though this person has a British passport, they should not be given citizenship.“The Government has sidestepped it for the time being, which is really a Band-Aid for an old wound, by saying, ‘well, he can live here for ever, but we are not going to give him citizenship’,” Mr Pires concluded.Mr Caines would not specify when the legislation would be ready.He added: “We are keen to strike the right balance regarding immigration reform because, while we recognise there are issues that need to be addressed, we also need to ensure that Bermudians have a place of primacy, in their own country.”