Bermuda Institute in permit row

Bermuda Institute appears to be embroiled in a row with the Department of Immigration over a fill-in teacher.

In an extraordinary step, announcements were made about the matter at various Seventh-Day Adventist churches across the island on Saturday.

The church runs the institute and we understand concern centres around a non-Bermudian teacher allegedly working part-time — unpaid — without a work permit. 

We spoke to three different sources, each of whom was present in church when the announcements were made.

But neither the church nor Government will confirm any details.

Dr Jeffrey Brown, the president of the Bermuda Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, told us: “…We are in advanced communication with relevant parties and are working diligently to bring the matter to a swift conclusion.”

A Government spokeswoman simply confirmed that the Ministry [of Immigration] is looking into the matter.

We have been told by our sources who heard Saturday’s announcement that Immigration threatened to pull all work permits at Bermuda Institute.  

We understand the teacher wasn’t being paid but was filling in on various occasions. 

This was reported to Immigration and one of our church sources told us: “Immigration found out and gave them 14 days or so to petition why they should let [the teacher] continue to work along with the other foreign workers.”

Asked to confirm there was a threat to pull all non-Bermudian teachers’ work permits, one of our sources said: “Yes there was. If they do not [resolve this case], the impression given was the deportation of all of the guest workers.”

We put a number of questions to Dr Jeffrey Brown, the president of the Bermuda Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, and he responded with a statement: “We have been contacted before on areas such as human rights, gang violence, and gaming and we have gladly shared with the public.

“However, as a matter of course and principle, we do not share or discuss an individual’s personal information relating to human resources.

“What we can say, though, is that we are in advanced communication with relevant parties and are working diligently to bring the matter to a swift conclusion.”