Long-term residents will be given increased rights to apply for permanent residency and Bermudian status under new proposals outlined by the Bermuda Government.

The move will allow residents who have lived on the island for 20 years to gain status, while those resident for 15 years will be entitled to permanent residency.

Michael Fahy, the Minister for Home Affairs, described the policy as “the right thing to do”, dismissing suggestions that the changes were “anti-Bermudian” or would take jobs away from Bermudians.

But the announcement prompted an angry response from Progressive Labour Party MP Walton Brown, who took to Facebook to accuse the One Bermuda Alliance of “losing its mind”, and claimed it had shown contempt for Bermudians “reminiscent of the racist policies of the 1960s”.

Senator Fahy said amending the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956 to incorporate the new provisions would bring Bermuda in line with the European Convention on Human Rights, generate revenue and help to address the decreasing work population.

“There is nothing anti-Bermudian about helping our family, friends and our neighbour,” Mr Fahy said. “The people we are talking about represent every class, race, ethnicity and national origin.”

Under the proposed changes, residents who have lived in Bermuda for 20 years will also need to be Commonwealth citizens, of good character and not convicted of criminal offences to apply for status.

Meanwhile, those applying for permanent residency need to be resident in Bermuda for two years immediately prior to their application and of good character throughout their time on the island.

Mr Brown branded the new policy as “b******t” saying: “There is no longer space to discuss and negotiate.

“This is the time for direct action. Civil disobedience. I will consult with other like-minded people and we will act ... as early as next week. Are you in?”

He later reiterated his comments to The Royal Gazette, saying: “The time for discussions is over. The Government clearly has no intention on having a collaborative approach on one of the most contentious issues.

“If the minister seeks to throw the gauntlets down to the Bermuda public he will get an appropriate response.”

Mr Fahy said yesterday that the number of residents who would qualify under the new pathways for residency and status was “very small” and maintained the strategy would create “pragmatic, immediate benefits”.

“New applications will represent a revenue-enhancing opportunity as applicants pay the substantial fees involved under the legislation,” he said.

“New Bermudians, with their new-found security, could seek to purchase real estate or inject capital into Bermuda companies.

“Assets which will be earmarked to leave Bermuda will be more readily available for investments in the local economy.

Mr Fahy added: “The 2010 Census data revealed a total work-permit population of 6,421. Of that, 5,738 had been in Bermuda for less than 15 years. 511 have been in Bermuda for 15 years or more.

“Assuming that the 172 who did not report were in the latter category, we are dealing with at most 683 possible applicants likely to be able to make applications upon this legislation coming into operation.”

The raft of changes will also allow adoptive children of Bermudians in Bermuda to automatically obtain Bermudian status if they meet certain conditions. A person who was born in Bermuda or arrived before their 16th birthday will be eligible for permanent residency after ten years of ordinary residency in Bermuda upon reaching their 18th birthday.

Anyone who has a Bermuda immediate family connection will be eligible for permanent residency after ten years of ordinary residency in Bermuda upon reaching their 18th birthday.

Meanwhile, people in Bermuda for 20 years when the new rules begin will have special transitional provision made for them.

Mr Fahy said: “Bermuda is one of the only places in the world that does not have a pathway to status that isn’t through marriage.

“The unfortunate reality is that Bermuda’s immigration policy has allowed substantial numbers of people to live in Bermuda with no real hope or expectation that they can ever achieve the full rights associated with being Bermudian.

“The status quo is totally unacceptable.

“This is especially the case in a jurisdiction as modern and progressive as Bermuda.

“It has led Bermuda to fall afoul of its international legal and human rights obligations.”

• For the Bermuda Government’s “Pathways to Status” information sheet, click on the PDF under “Related Media”