After 25 years in Bermuda, Mr. Manuel Pacheco has been told he must leave.

"I've got nowhere to go,'' said Mr. Pacheco, who was 14 when he arrived from the Azores with his parents. "I've got no family back home.'' Lawyer Mr. Trevor Moniz says the case of Mr. Pacheco -- who lost his longtime job at Terra's Grocery when the Pembroke business was sold last year -- illustrates "a huge hypocrisy'' in the way long-term residents are treated.

Position papers released by Government in the lead-up to the August 16 Independence referendum said provision would be made in an independent Bermuda for people like Mr. Pacheco, he said.

"Any person who had been ordinarily resident in Bermuda for at least 20 years immediately before Independence Day would be eligible to apply for citizenship of Bermuda,'' the position papers state. "Such a person would be granted citizenship, on application, provided that he or she has been of good conduct and character for at least the ten years immediately preceding his or her application.'' Mr. Pacheco, 39, whose two sons were born in Bermuda, says he has never been in trouble except for a couple of speeding tickets. He said he does not understand why other residents who have been here for much shorter periods can get work permits approved when he can not. "It's unbelievable,'' he said.

He is recently divorced and his sons Nilton, 14, and Michael, 10, have gone back to the Azores with their mother.

Mr. Pacheco's brother works for Government at Tulo Valley Nursery. His parents and sister have moved to Canada. "I know nothing back home,'' he said. "All of my life is in Bermuda from 14-years-old.'' Mr. Pacheco said he has a job lined up with a local maintenance company but has been unable to get a work permit approved by Immigration. He also missed out on a job at a local grocery store when Immigration said it was not satisfied there were no qualified Bermudians and asked that the job be re-advertised.

Three deadlines for Mr. Pacheco to leave Bermuda have now passed. He was first ordered to quit the Island by May 5, then by August 18, and most recently, by last Friday. Mr. Moniz concedes that an administrative oversight in his office resulted in his first appeal to Immigration not being made until after the May 5 date had passed.

In a meeting about ten days ago, Mr. Moniz appealed directly to Labour and Home Affairs Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness. But an official recently told him the October 6 date for Mr. Pacheco to leave remained in effect.

"We've never been given any sort of reason,'' Mr. Moniz said. "It seems very sad for someone who has been here such a long period of time.'' "There appears to be no coherent policy,'' Mr. Moniz said. "I think Government has to come to the wicket and say what is their policy on long-term residents.

Mr. Edness has said he is sympathetic to the plight of long-term residents, but that as a dependent territory Bermuda can not grant citizenship rights.

Citizenship granted in an independent Bermuda would be "a one-time offer,'' with those eligible given one year to decide whether they wanted it, he said in a recent interview.

Since a policy on long-term residents would continue, "we're not talking about apples and apples here.'' Mr. Edness said he was prepared to review the present position with his Cabinet colleagues.

"There is no logical reason why our position toward long-term residents should be any different because we're not going Independent,'' Mr. Moniz said.

If long-term residents would be owed something in an Independent Bermuda, "it seems to be an enormous hypocrisy to say we didn't go independent, therefore we owe them nothing.'' Mr. Manuel Pacheco