Bermuda’s immigration policy came under the spotlight in the UK after a former HWP worker claimed he was kicked off the Island following last August’s fire.Stephen Tomlinson and his wife Kirsty, who lived in Bermuda for 20 years, complained to the Hull Daily Mail they had been given less a month to leave, despite their two children being born on the Island.That sparked an article in the national Daily Mail under the headline: “From heaven to Hull: Family kicked out of Bermuda after 20 years as UK overseas territory clamps down on immigrants from Britain.”Mr Tomlinson, a 45-year-old paint sprayer, says he became redundant after the fire, and his application for a work permit at Mercedes dealership Far East Imports was declined.They have reportedly called on the British Government to fight their case.Mr Tomlinson told the Hull newspaper: “My daughter is crying herself to sleep at night and the children ask ‘When are we going home, Daddy?’“I don’t understand how they could do this to us after we’d been there so long.“We had to sell all our belongings and get out, despite having worked hard and paid our way.”Mr Tomlinson had been in Bermuda on a work permit since 1991, while Mrs Tomlinson worked as a beauty therapist. Their daughter Holly is 12, and son Joseph is six.In the aftermath of the HWP blaze, then-Economy Minister Kim Wilson said Government was committed to supporting those affected by the disaster.“The acting director of Labour and Training met with HWP human resources personnel and a coordinated effort is underway to ensure that all employed affected by the redundancies register with the Department of Labour and Training,” said Senator Wilson at that time.According to the Hull publication, Mr Tomlinson fears more expatriates will be ordered to leave Bermuda. He told them: “There are still people from Hull out there and more Britons will be sent home. You build a life up only to get kicked out.”The newspaper states the family could have bought citizenship for $120,000 but they “did not hold important enough jobs”.“If I was a butcher, a policeman or had a lot of money in the bank, I could have stayed,” said Mr Tomlinson.“The money was good out there and had I have known that we would be told to leave so suddenly, I would have started saving years ago.”UK MP Andrew Percy is said to have vowed to take the family’s case to UK ministers, telling the newspaper: “Although Bermuda is a British colony, it has control over its own immigration system.“It’s completely unjust that the Tomlinson family should be cheated in this way when they have lived there for so long. I will do everything I can to help them.”Picking up on the story, the national Daily Mail ran the sub-headline: “Island’s government is now only granting permits to highly-skilled workers in bid to reduce unemployment among Bermudians.”Within a few hours, more than 200 comments had been posted, largely by residents of the UK.A section of Government’s letter to Mr Tomlinson, dated March 28 and printed in the Daily Mail, states the Minister has reviewed Far East Imports’ request for a work permit and refused the application.“As a result of this decision, you are now being advised to settle your affairs, together with your family, and leave Bermuda by April 26, 2012,” it states.According to Economy Minister Patrice Minors, nearly 90 work permit applications were refused last year due to a moratorium in certain fields, designed to ensure Bermudians get more job opportunities.Responding to the report yesterday, Ms Minors said:”The Ministry’s top priority is to get Bermudians who are unemployed back to work.“Surely those work permit holders who have been made redundant cannot expect to compete with Bermudians who have a legitimate expectation to obtain employment in their own country, particularly when the pool of jobs have been reduced.“In addition, this Government has consistently ensured that work permit holders are aware that they have no expectation to become long-term residents except in certain circumstances. This story should remind the public of the reason for term limits.”