HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) — The Bermuda Parliament has passed controversial immigration legislation to “protect Bermuda for Bermudians”, despite vocal opposition.

The new laws give the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act priority over the island’s Human Rights Act.

Home Affairs Minister Walton Brown told the House of Assembly on Friday that the Bill would protect Bermuda for Bermudians, but the Opposition One Bermuda Alliance — which was routed by the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) in July’s general election — expressed concerns about the lack of consultation.

The Bill was introduced after a May 2014 Supreme Court ruling that enabled certain holders of a permanent resident’s certificate to apply for status (full citizenship).

The Human Rights Commission earlier argued it was “reckless” to undermine the Human Rights Act, or have it portrayed as a tool for manipulation.

Brown said the intention of the Bill was to “restore the primacy the (Bermuda Immigration and Protection) Act once enjoyed” and ensure that “Bermudians come first”.

He told legislators that Bermudians continued to be the most economically disadvantaged in terms of unemployment, salary, and total jobs filled, according to statistics in the Labour Force Survey 2015.

“If the court ruling prevails, hundreds could work here without the minister’s permission. It is for governments to pass laws, not the courts. The court’s job is to interpret law. Only a weak government lets the courts decide.”

Brown said that he had been an advocate for human rights for more than 30 years and defended his party’s stance on human rights, making the point that it was the PLP that had extended rights to permanent residents in the first place.

Brown estimated that it might take a year for full reform to take place but due to “harrowing stories of people marginalised and people in limbo” he would deal with the issue of PRC holders and status as a matter of urgency, while the reforms would come later.

Opposition Leader Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said the government’s handling of the bill had caused public anxiety.

She called on the government to hold the bill until the end of the month so consultation could take place adding, “I think there’s nothing wrong with ensuring that you are not using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.”