A campaign group supporting the Pathways to Status immigration legislation has urged the House of Assembly to move forward with the Bill.

A statement from the group, We Support A Pathway To Bermuda Status, compared the present impasse to President Barack Obama’s efforts to nominate a new Supreme Court Justice despite opponents pledging to block it.

“All he wants to do is perform his constitutional duty and for his colleagues in the Senate to do the same,” the statement read. “His judicial nominees deserve at the very least a debate and an up-or-down vote.

“In Bermuda, we face the same conundrum. Our government has a constitutional duty to propose laws and our legislature has a constitutional duty to consider and scrutinise those laws. However, this process falls apart when a small minority takes it upon themselves to physically prevent MPs from debating this legislation.

“We, the people, deserve a debate and an up-or-down vote on Pathways.”

The statement noted an editorial in today’s edition of The Royal Gazettewhich, referring to a survey that found the majority of registered voters support Pathways to Status, said if the Government was doing the work of the people it would pass the Bill.

“We couldn’t agree more,” the group said. “Not only are there more supporters of Pathways than there are opponents, there are more people in favour of the Government’s proposals than in favour of bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform.

“All we want is for the Government and Legislature to be permitted to do their job and give effect to the will of the people.

“We urge all persons to e-mail the Premier, the Speaker and the Governor with one simple message: let’s get on with the people’s business, let the will of the people prevail and let the House sit.”