On the other hand, the Department of Immigration has to ensure that in granting a work permit no Bermudian is disadvantaged. The Minister has a statutory obligation to take account of the following factors:

· the character of the applicant and , where relevant, of his or her spouse

· the existing and likely economic situation of Bermuda

· the availability of the services of local companies and persons already resident in Bermuda.

· the desirability of giving preference to spouses of persons possessing Bermudian status

· the protection of local interests and

· generally the requirements of the community as a whole

The main criterion in assessing whether or not to grant a work permit is whether there is a suitably qualified Bermudian, who is interested in the job and available to do it. If so then a Bermudian applicant, who fulfils the minimum advertised requirements and qualifications for the job, should be hired in preference to a non-Bermudian. An employer who applies to employ a non-Bermudian in a job for which there was a Bermudian applicant is required to give clear, satisfactory reasons for not employing the Bermudian.

The Economic and Social Costs of Success

A further effect of having an additional 12,000 foreign workers and their families, in order to maintain the economy, combined with Bermuda's small physical size, is crowding. Among the ten small countries Bermuda with 1071 people per km², ranks fourth in population density behind Hong Kong (6,517 per km²), Singapore (6,411 per km²) and Gibraltar (4,536 per km²). With their small, finite land areas and high population densities, small successful islands, in particular, are chronically aware of the strain placed on the country's infrastructure, e.g. roads, housing and schools, by any increase in population. In Bermuda's case the increase in population over the last two decades has been largely as a result of economic growth. As the indigenous population is virtually stable or in decline, the growth in population has been largely from the need to import workers to fill the newly created jobs in an expanding economy. The 1990 to 1993 economic recession in Bermuda eased the strains, but at the cost of 5,500 jobs held by foreign workers. The challenge is to balance the economic benefits with the social costs.

Pages 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13 or Click here to Return Home