A special flight to repatriate Portuguese nationals to the Azores left Bermuda yesterday evening
It was reported that approximately 62 persons were on board the flight including several expatriate workers who had lost employment since the start of the pandemic or who had had their work permit renewals refused by the immigration department.
The flight will also bring 22 people from the Azores to Bermuda.
Andrea Moniz-DeSouza, the Honorary Consul of Portugal in Bermuda noted that some of the workers had been left out of pocket and were owed wages from employers who had failed to meet their obligations. She asked employers to “be fair and appropriately deal with these matters” when settling outstanding wages and benefits.
Many of those returning were employed in the landscaping business in Bermuda. Jason Hayward, the minister with responsibility for immigration has denied rumours that this sector was specially targeted.
Providing recent figures in support of his claim, the minister listed the work permits that have been denied between April 1 and June 22, 2020 in specific landscaping job categories. For the period in question, a total of 18 permits were refused as follows: nine permits for landscape gardeners, two permits for experienced landscape gardeners, one permit for an experienced landscape/hardscape worker, two permits for landscape foremen, one for a landscape gardener/mason, two for landscape/hardscape gardener and one for a supervisor landscape gardener.
