For around 23 years non-resident “Rastafarians and Hippies” were banned from entering the British Virgin Islands without written prior permission from the Premier because of the 1980 Immigration and Passport Prohibition Order, also known as the Rasta Law.
Former Chief Immigration Officer Edmund Maduro suggested the legislation to the -Ninth District Representative, Hon Ralph T. O’Neal as a measure to fight crime and prevent Rastafarians from coming into the territory from St. Thomas, USVI and stealing mangoes from residents’ trees.
Maduro said the Rastas would come over to Tortola and would steal the fruit. when confronted, they would say the mangoes belonged to Jah so they were free to take.
The law sparked controversy after it was passed and saw protesters like Bertrand “Washasha X” Lettsome writing to express their grievances to Government officials.
But despite the pleas of protesters, the law would remain on the books for some 23 years because as Lettsome said, it only targeted people without a Virgin Islands passport- not Virgin Islanders.
In July 2002, the Rastafari Turtle Dove Alliance protested the law with about 60 to 100 people through the Civilisation March.
Following the march, Hon O’Neal promised to have the law repealed.
But it wasn’t until 2003 that new Chief Minister Hon Dr. D Orlando Smith, got the law revoked.
20 years later, dreadlocks and Rastafarianism is no longer an issue, and the discriminatory piece of legislation is a thing of the past.
