Last summer, Bermuda experienced a tumultuous series of public meetings concerning the rights of long term non-Bermudian residents.

The meetings heard from long term residents who had made Bermuda their home and had contributed to the community in many different ways.

And they also heard from Bermudians who were concerned that the wholesale grant of working rights or status would result in their being displaced.

At times, the discussions became emotional, and that is hardly surprising, because the debate ultimately comes down to questions of jobs, property rights, and the right to a safe and secure life.

Overall, the bill that passed the House of Assembly giving status to some people and long term resident rights to rather more struck the right balance.

It recognised the contributions of non-Bermudians, and also corrected the inequities of past status laws, which at times gave Bermudian status to some siblings and denied it to others, and in other cases gave status to children, but denied it to the parents, thus creating the awful possibility that parents and children could be split up if a work permit was not renewed.

An estimated 180 people will benefit from this change; for them, this gives added security which is long overdue.

Similarly, the 220 Commonwealth citizens who were on the electoral role in 1976 but did not hold Bermuda status will now receive it.

This has always been a contradictory situation. People who have the right to vote should have the rights of other citizens. The current Government has long disliked the grant of the vote to these residents, believing that it may have tilted elections. This seems unlikely to us, but the Government has done the right thing in granting these very long term residents full status, and thus eliminating the problem.

Many more long term residents — and the number is not yet known — will be entitled to Permanent Resident Certificates under the legislation.

This will give them the right to own property and to work without having to seek work permit renewals.

Government deserves credit for having taken this step. In many ways, only a Progressive Labour Party government could have taken this step and it is has done so because it was the right thing to do.

To some extent, this legislation is driven by some hard economic facts. There are far more jobs in Bermuda than there are Bermudians to do them, even if some employees are working two or more.

Having said that, it is essential that Bermudians still have the opportunity to work and to progress in their chosen careers and it is here, depending on the number of long term residents who get permanent residents certificates that Government will face its greatest challenges in ensuring that all segments of the community are well served.

It is probable that every Immigration Minister has hoped, if not believed, that the latest amendments to the Immigration and Protection Act will be the last and will have resolved the problems that the Island’s employment needs and the need to protect Bermudians throw up.

That has not occurred before and it is unlikely that this legislation will last forever either.

But this amendment does correct some long standing inequities, and given the fire the issue sparked last summer, the fact that it has passed with all-party support and no public controversy suggests that it will stand for some time to come.