Home Affairs Minister David Burch has announced that 4,000 incomplete work permit applications are to be returned to employers. Addressing the Senate he said that too many applications are being submitted without the correct documentation, resulting in lengthy delays. He expects that the move will lead to correct applications being processed in a timely manner.
Foreign workers from non-English speaking countries will shortly have to pass an English language test to remain in Bermuda. Derrick Burgess, Minister of Labour and Immigration, told the House of Assembly last week he was concerned that many Bermudians had complained that many restaurants were employing waiters who couldn’t speak English and brought incorrect dishes.
Another foreigner has been kicked out of Bermuda after a dispute involving a government MP. Canadian building contractor Curtis Macleod will leave the island on Monday after an argument with Warwick North Central MP George Scott led to his work permit being revoked. In December Australian chef Anthony Reynolds was forced to leave after making a joke about poisoning Premier Ewart Brown.
The fragile nature of a Bermuda work permit was clearly illustrated this week after a top chef was booted off the island. Australian Anthony Reynolds, Executive Chef at the Elbow Beach Hotel, made a joke last week about putting arsenic in the meal of Premier Ewart Brown while the leader was dining at the hotel. A complaint was made by a member of staff to the Department of Immigration and shortly after the chef was forced to tender his resignation.
Immigration officials arrived at Mr Reynolds’ apartment on Wednesday and escorted him to the airport. Immigration Minister Derrick Burgess described the incident as ‘tantamount to threatening an act of terrorism, a criminal act of a most heinous nature.’ He went on to say, ‘Such behaviour will not be tolerated by this Government administration, least of all from a guest worker in this country and particularly from someone who, as purportedly responsible as an Executive Chef, was in a position to make good such a threat. No modern democracy post 9/11 would or should, take such threats lightly or in jest.’
Debate on the issue has split the island in two. Most expatriates and many white Bermudians are viewing it as a gross overreaction to an inappropriate joke and an example of Government expatriate bashing. Many within the black community have taken the stance that any threat to the Premier’s life, even if in jest, should be taken seriously.
Extravagant salaries caused by Bermuda’s restrictive immigration laws were highlighted by an article in today’s Royal Gazette newspaper. The owner of Four Star Pizza, Marico Thomas, claims that he is unable to fill 70 pizza delivery vacancies paying $30 an hour. Bermuda’s immigration policy dictates that pizza delivery jobs cannot be filled by expatriate workers, despite Mr Thomas claiming that he cannot find enough Bermudians willing to do the work.
Assuming a 40 hour week with 2 weeks annual leave this means a Bermudian pizza delivery boy could earn a tax-free salary of $60,000 a year. In contrast a newly qualified teacher in the UK would command a net salary of $24,520.