As government frets over a shrinking population, students and Bermudians living overseas have highlighted the limited opportunities available in Bermuda and voiced concerns over returning to the island.

Some Bermudians living abroad say they need to know that the government has a vested interest in their future and will encourage them to return to Bermuda.

Considering Bermuda’s specific case in which there are limited local higher education opportunities, many young Bermudians have no option but to live in other parts of the world for eight months out of the year.

Ryan Robinson Perinchief, a Bermudian student in the UK, hopes to eventually return to Bermuda “to work and settle”.

A student at Durham University, Mr Perinchief was youth Premier in the island’s Youth Parliament.

He said: “Unfortunately, the challenges I expect to face are the same challenges that many of my Bermudian peers have faced with regards to difficulty finding employment, often being told that they either lack experience, or that there are simply no opportunities available.

“I know quite a few recent graduates who have been forced to settle for jobs in which they are overqualified, as well as entire families who have gone overseas.

“There are always opportunities to gain experience abroad that may seem more attractive, but personally, I feel that living and studying abroad causes many students to appreciate Bermuda even more.”

Mr Perinchief added: “The current immigration debate has, in my view, proven that Bermuda truly is a place coveted by many, which is why it is vital that any changes to the immigration policy must be made comprehensively, with special attention given to the historical background of citizenship in Bermuda, and only after careful consideration by all parties involved.”

Clare O’Connor has built a life and career in New York as a staff writer at a business magazine.

She said while the island couldn’t begin to compete with the city’s restaurants or cultural institutions, those were secondary considerations.

She said: “I’m concerned about opposition to the Pathways to Status initiative.

“Bermuda’s economic success is contingent on international business. We must make the long-term residents working in this sector feel welcome and valued for their crucial contribution to Bermuda’s future.

“Their presence in Bermuda is a significant plus for an economy that simply can’t depend on tourism anymore. It’s also our best chance at attracting more large companies in the future. Of course, reinsurance and finance also provide good careers for many thousands of Bermudians.”

Kevin Minors lives in Bath, England. The 24-year-old is doing a PhD in mathematics and said he “absolutely” hoped to return to Bermuda.

He said: “I have been advised that it would be good to stay abroad and gain valuable experience before I return — but I will definitely return.

“I was born and raised in Bermuda. It is my home. The community there made me who I am and I hope to return to give back to the very same community. I want to inspire and support the next generation in the same way that I was inspired and supported.”

He said that as a mathematician he fears that there may not be many opportunities for him once he returns and recognises that he may have to create those opportunities for himself.

But he added that “if I look for a job in the international business and finance industries, I’m afraid that companies will prefer to hire people that have immigrated with the companies instead of locals.

Mr Minors said: “I’m concerned that the Bermuda Government is more concerned about people they can give Bermudian status to than people who currently have Bermudian status. I’m concerned that Bermuda has a severe historical blind spot and we have not yet truly acknowledged, let alone accepted, the history of the country.

“It’s quite discouraging to be honest. Why would they care about my future, my career opportunities, and my social mobility if they can just import someone else and ignore the larger social implications? In a weird way, it’s beginning to feel like my country views me as the foreigner.

“I’m afraid that the government is only thinking of very short-term solutions. Very little, if any, energy has been given to looking for a long-term solution. We need to be able to educate and train locals to carry out jobs in all sectors and at all levels of Bermudian society.

“We need to diversify the economy so that we are not so heavily dependent on tourism and international business in terms of industries or the US and England in terms of countries. We have to acknowledge, address, teach, and constantly be reminded of the history of Bermuda. For independence, we have to build our links with the Caribbean and Africa.

Lawyer Peter Sanderson said: “While I’m by no means an expert, I can only offer my opinion based on impressions I have.

“I’m sure that both parties could come up with some eye-catching policies to show they were trying to entice Bermudians back — payroll tax exemption, cashback of overseas qualifications if you come back to work. I’m sure there are plenty of examples.

“But let’s face it, given the state of public finances, it would be largely tokenistic.

“Once a country has accumulated significant debt, as we now have, options to spend your way out of a problem become very limited.

“Ultimately there is only one way that Bermudians will come back in numbers and that is if the economy is booming again. And all the government can do about that is try to provide the right environment for businesses to do well here.”

In October when Bob Richards reportedly said: “Our priority is money — not people ... because without money, the people don’t matter”, the ex-Berkeley student said: “that attitude as indicated by the government’s responses were diversionary and reflected a lack of preparation or willingness to tackle and acknowledge many of the issues that the community feels strongly about.”