A Bermuda-born, American-raised man has found himself back in a country he does not know, a place where he has no family, friends, job or employment prospects.
After spending eight months in detention, 48-year-old Wayman Smith was escorted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents back to Bermuda, the country of his birth with a few hundred dollars in his pocket and the name of his birth mother as a reference.
Smith was forced into his current dilemma after being convicted of a federal offence in the US State of Virginia. He was deported to Bermuda when it was discovered that although he had been legally adopted by US citizens and had lived most of his life in that country, the orphan had never been naturalised as a US citizen, an oversight on the part of his adoptive parents.
While in detention Smith was able to liaise with the British embassy who verified his nationality as Bermudian and he was issued proper documentation including a Bermudian passport with the consul’s assistance. Since returning to the island, he has spent much of his time attempting to find a place to stay and to secure employment, however due to the lack of support, familial or otherwise, and his unemployed status, this is proving to be difficult. So far he is surviving on the kindness of strangers.
