Walton Brown, the Minister of Home Affairs, has announced the membership of the newly formed bipartisan committee on immigration reform.

The committee will consist of Progressive Labour Party MPs Renee Ming and Christopher Famous and One Bermuda Alliance MPs Ben Smith and Leah Scott, with Mr Brown as chairman.

The bipartisan committee will look at a broad set of issues relating to immigration reform, while the immigration reform working group will continue to come up with principles guiding legislative reform in the areas of Bermudian status, permanent resident certificate holders and mixed status families.

Mr Brown said: “What the working group is doing is very important. The principles they come up with will guide the legislation to come.

“Once the working group presents these principles on or by October 31, the committee will commence its work.

“The aim is for them to then come to the public for consultation in November.”

Mr Brown added: “I am very pleased that these four Members of Parliament have agreed to work in a consultative fashion to address and bring resolution to such a fundamentally important matter; that being comprehensive immigration reform.

“There is much work to be done. Consultation and public input are extremely crucial and only after an extensive consultation period will changes to both legislation and policy be proposed.”