Data is key on making decisions on immigration changes, members of the public told the Consultative Immigration Reform Working Group last night.

The meeting — the fifth on the complex topic of mixed-status families — drew around 50 people to the Berkeley Institute with several voicing their opinions and personal experiences.

While different views were presented, those who spoke were in broad agreement that accurate figures about how many people would be affected by any changes in immigration law would be key in making any decision.

One member of the public used the island’s history of fish pots as a metaphor for immigration.

“I recall when the rockfish were being depleted we pulled the pots so they could bounce back,” he said. “It seems like we now want to put fish pots all over the place.

“What are the numbers? That’s what we need to know. We want to know what the number is, and when this is going to stop.”

Another member of the public said that while he had been able to get Bermudian status, his Bermudian-born son was ineligible for status despite living on the island his entire life.

“He has a PRC so he can work here for the rest of his life, but it breaks his heart,” he told the group.

“If my son was born one year and four months earlier, he would be able to apply for status. If my son was born one year and 11 months later, he would have gotten status as my dependant.”

However, he agreed that the number of people who are affected should play a factor in any policy decision, saying: “These numbers are critical because this is a little, tiny island and we can’t be talking about thousands, but we could talk if the number was 53 or 66 or something like that.”

Another member of the public questioned why there would be a rush to amend the legislation when the figures were not yet available.

William Madeiros, president of the working group, said that they had been trying to confirm the number of people who could be affected by amendments, but answers were difficult to find.

Dennis Fagundo, another member of the working group, explained that getting the exact figures could be difficult because of their nature.

“It’s easy to get numbers for permanent residency certificates. If we want to know how many people have applied for status, they just go to the file,” he said. “If you ask how many people haven’t applied for something they don’t qualify for, it’s much more difficult.

“We have been trying to get some facts we can hang our hats on, but it has been a difficult road.”

The audience was told, however, that there are about 1,500 PRC holders, about 800 of which are able to apply for Bermudian status.

As the discussion continued, another member of the public suggested an “amnesty”, arguing that an influx of people could help provide an economic boost.

Meanwhile, regarding the issue of human rights and how it affects the subject, lawyer Rick Woolridge told the audience that it is considered inhumane to break up the family unit, noting how family members having different national status can make even common things like family vacations more difficult.

However, he added that there is an exception for sufficiently small countries with limited resources, adding: “What we have to do is a delicate balancing act.”

The Consultative Immigration Reform Working Group is set to host another public meeting tonight at Francis Patton Primary, starting at 6pm.

•Submissions to the Consultative Immigration Reform Working Group can be made via the drop box on the ground floor of the Government Administration Building on Parliament Street, by calling the group on 500-4664 or by e-mail at immigrationbda@gmail.com