Dear Sir,

I’m writing in response to several opinion pieces and the reporting which has been done by The Royal Gazette on the recent immigration discussion. The economic benefits and consequences on Bermuda of an immigration plan are up for debate and both sides have stated their opinions on them already. So I will not be discussing them. Instead, I am focusing on the racist and xenophobic position that the Progressive Labour Party has taken on this issue.

It is attempting to deny human rights to people because it will benefit that party politically. By doing so, it can stir up its base, try and get swing voters to its side and paint the One Bermuda Alliance as a party not interested in the average Bermudian.

All the OBA is trying to do is align Bermuda with a basic human right, pathway to citizenship, which every other developed country in the world has. If someone is born to non-Bermudians and legally lives in Bermuda for more than 20 years, why should they not become a citizen? Or if someone has lived here legally for more than 20 years, why should they not have the option of becoming a citizen? It shouldn’t matter which political party they may or may not support.

If the PLP has an immigration plan, it should write an article outlining it instead of preventing OBA discussion meetings from occurring. By stopping these discussions from occurring, it is obvious the PLP has no plan and wants only to prevent immigration reform from occurring long enough for people to lose interest and for the next hot topic to come along.

No one is denying Bermuda’s terrible past of civil rights violations; however, they don’t justify refusing to allow immigration because it will allow too many whites, Portuguese, Indians and Asians in. When PLP supporters are singling out whites and Asians to hold anti-immigration signs in front of, it is obvious racism.

America is also having an immigration debate, but its debate is focused around how to give illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship. Donald Trump has been called racist for saying he wants all illegals to leave and then come back legally. I have heard PLP supporters in one breath mock American Republicans for this and in the next breath talk about how people living here for more than 20 years are acting like entitled brats for wanting citizenship.

By taking its position, the PLP is being more conservative than American Republicans. Being more conservative than Republicans is not something any party in Bermuda should strive for.

It’s time for Bermuda, a nation that claims to have strong religious principles, to start acting like a nation with them. To the PLP, I say heed the Pope’s words on the matter.

Pope Francis said on February 18, 2016: “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the gospel.”

God surrounded Bermuda with the Atlantic Ocean, so actual walls are not needed. What is required is an immigration plan that builds bridges for a better future on this island.

TIM CAMP