(CMR) Bermuda's government has proposed increasing access to permanent residency certificates without new pathways to Bermudian status to address a decrease in the country's birth rate and an aging population.
According to a Royal Gazette report, Jason Hayward, the Minister of Economy and Labour, told the House of Assembly that action was needed to address these demographic challenges.
“Many high-income countries around the world are facing the same problem. But in a small country like Bermuda, it can have a severe impact on our economic performance and the cost of living for ordinary working people,” he said.
Hayward said his ministry had prepared a position paper with proposals to address these challenges and was seeking feedback as they aim to retain Bermuda's workforce for the long-term benefit of the country.
According to the Gazette, he said the island needed to consider both Bermudians and guest workers, but added that the proposals do not include a pathway to Bermudian status.
“As a government, we want to see more and better opportunities for Bermudians. The chance to earn a living wage doing meaningful work. The opportunity to enter the most sought-after industries, create new ones, be entrepreneurs and socially conscious contributors to our economy and society. We want Bermudian workers to have a real chance to thrive,” he said.
“And for guest workers, we want to give stability and certainty, in addition to fairness and a chance to feel at home in the place where many are raising families and contributing to our community economically and socially.”
To encourage working-age Bermudians to remain on the island, Hayward said the government would strengthen labor protection, ensure that Bermudians studying abroad return, and encourage the retention of older Bermudians in the workplace.
“The Government is conscious of the growing assertions that Bermudians are emigrating overseas in search of better job opportunities and a lower cost of living,” he said.
A survey by Global Research found that 21 percent of people had household members who had left Bermuda to live abroad for at least 12 months in the last five years, and 15 percent had household members who had left Bermuda to live abroad for non-educational reasons, the Minister pointed out.
“To gain a full understanding of whether such emigration is happening and why, the Ministry of Economy and Labour will commission research and, based on the results, will develop policies to reduce the drivers of forced migration and encourage Bermudians to return and remain in Bermuda,” the Minister promised.
Hayward explained that the position paper proposed adding equal work for equal pay provisions, increasing maximum severance pay, and continued revisions to the closed and restricted jobs category.
The Gazette reported that proposals also include amendments to work permit policies to ensure that Bermudians are not the first on the chopping block when layoffs occur, the establishment of a hiring hierarchy to prioritize the hiring of Bermudians, and policies to ensure that guest workers have basic proficiency in the English language.
The paper also proposes eliminating the employer’s portion of payroll tax for Bermudian employees over the age of 65 and otherwise promoting the retention of seniors.
While the policy paper does not open the door to Bermudian status, Mr Hayward noted that it did suggest widening eligibility for permanent resident certificates.
Under the proposals, ordinary residents who have been living in the country for more than ten years and earn an annual income of $83,000 would be eligible for permanent resident certificates, halving the minimum time period.
Non-Bermudian parents of Bermudian children would also be able to apply for PRC status after ten years of ordinary residence, down from 15 years, and PRC eligibility requirements for job creators would be reduced from ten years to five.
PRC eligibility requirements would also be reduced to five years for those working in certain professions, including registered nurses, chartered financial analysts, certified actuaries, computer engineers, software developers and certified accountants.
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