Rasta hails Trump’s deportation policy – Wants black people to be sent to Africa

February 21, 2017
A local Rastafarian yesterday endorsed Donald Trump’s controversial deportation policies, saying it represents a fundamentally important step in returning people to their roots.

“My word to the prime minister, mi woulda love him get to Donald Trump and mek him know is a good work Donald Trump doing by stepping up the repatriation programme. Him must work with Donald Trump to help get the people from Jamaica to Africa through the repatriation process,” Priest Prince, a member of the Ethiopian Africa Black International Congress, said.
Priest Prince was among more than a dozen Rastafarians who visited The Gleaner’s North Street offices in Kingston yesterday, where THE STAR is located, to press the claim for repatriation.
“The greatest mission and programme today is to repatriate the people dem to Africa through the Jamaica Government,” he said.
United States President Donald Trump has stated his desire to oust illegal immigrants from his country. Hundreds of persons were arrested by the US Department of Homeland Security during immigration-enforcement operations last week.
DEPORTATION OR REPATRIATION?
“I see him taking the black people and sending them to Jamaica, but he should just send them to Africa and done because sending them to Jamaica is going to stir up more rioting and war because many will come hungry, no money. If him coulda send dem to Africa it would be more preferable for everyone,” Priest Prince said.
The Rastafarians, who are members of the Ethiopian Africa Black International Congress, said their rights under Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are being denied the longer they remain in Jamaica.
Priest Christopher Morant, who led the group, said Rastafarians want to return to Africa.
“We are not Jamaicans. We are Ethiopians because where we come from, we still hold that roots and we need to go home,” Morant said.
Priest Earl said that crime and violence in Jamaica is as a result of disobedience. He said the failure of successive governments to repatriate Rastafarians to Africa, as well as their roles in setting up garrison communities, have led to the outbreak of crime and violence on the land.
He argued that if repatriation takes place “the people would come forward to their black self. They would eat black, talk black and have a black understanding, and you would love the God inna yuh and love the God in your sister also”.
The Rastas, who refer to themselves as ‘captive children in Babylon’, said the Government should step up and provide them with transportation, through the Black Star Line ship, and facilitate their return to Africa.
“We denounce the Jamaican nationality and own ourselves as Ethiopians,” said Priest Weston Waite.
“Everyone is going back to his own vine and fig tree. Africa fi the Africans, China for the Chinese, Syria fi the Syrians, Europe for the white people dem, and Jamaica is an inheritance fi the Arawak Indians. Everything would fall in its rightful place. Until Africa is redeemed, you naah go have nuh peace pon di Earth,” he continued.