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Dear Sir,

In light of the new U.S. immigration policy pertaining to stamped passports of registered Bermudians, I would like to bring to your attention the fallacy, and/or incompetence of our own Immigration department.

My wife of the past 11 years has been denied a stamped passport by an Immigration clerk, until proof of a divorce 14 years ago is provided. This we find absolutely ridiculous, as she was issued a passport 10 years ago (and renewed just nine months ago) under her married name.

A Marriage Certificate (issued by the Registry General) was provided to the Departments of Immigration, Social Insurance, Transport, and the Parliamentary Register, in order for all departments to update their databases, and at this point it is only the Immigration department, to paraphrase the clerk, 'still showing her in the system under a previous marriage'.

Inexplicable

Neither the clerk, nor the Immigration hierarchy so far, can explain how she was issued a passport under her new married name, if she is still listed as not being divorced?

What is even more mind boggling is that she is listed twice on the Immigration Department's list of registered Bermudians (under her maiden and divorced names), so technically is she entitled to obtain two more passports?

Another issue that we find perplexing is, how is it that my stepson can be conscripted into the Bermuda Regiment, but not be listed as a registered Bermudian?

At this point I don't expect a response from Mr. Brewer and his senior staff to my correspondence, but hope that a reform or 'shake-up' is made with our own Immigration policy, because it's not just foreigners displacing Bermudians, but our own Immigration Department.

David Williams

Sandys[[In-content Ad]]

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