Around 100 people last night attended the first of a series of meetings on Permanent Resident Certificate holders and Bermuda status.

The meeting — organised by grassroots group the People’s Campaign and held at Allen Temple in Somerset — was set up to outline campaign organisers call for a root-and-branch review of immigration policy in Bermuda.

Jason Hayward, head of white collar union Bermuda Public Service Union and one of the campaign leaders, said: “The majority of the people at the meeting were supportive of our position, which we believe is reasonable.

“We want to see some type of comprehensive immigration reform.”

And he called on both sides involved in the controversy to set aside their differences and sit down for discussions.

Mr Hayward said: “We want the people to understand the facts — there has been a lot of misinformation surrounding the topic.

“The matter has been a bit sensationalised by both sides, who want to prove a point.”

And he said: “These positions don’t speak to the legislative problems we face by not having a comprehensive policy in place.”

A row erupted after Chief Justice Ian Kawaley rejected an appeal by the Ministry of Home Affairs against two PRC holders being granted status.

The applications were made under a little-known loophole in immigration law — which the Opposition Progressive Labour Party wanted to the House of Assembly to shut.

But Government did not support the move and argued that retroactively closing the loophole was unfair.