Dancehall superstar Sean Paul has criticised the United Kingdom’s visa restrictions on Jamaican citizens and is backing the island’s bid to remove King Charles III as the country’s head of state.

Sean Paul made his position known after The Independent newspaper advised him that the British government is being lobbied by Jamaica to lift visa restrictions.

In an exclusive interview with the UK media house during his visit to London last month, Alando Terrelonge, state foreign affairs explained that Jamaica is asking the British government to scrap visa restrictions for its citizens so they may freely travel to the UK.

Following 2003 sanctions, Jamaica remains the only country with the British monarch as head of state that requires visas to enter this country.

The 51-year-old Sean Paul, whose real name is Sean Henriques, is backing Jamaica’s bid to remove King Charles as the country’s head of state, citing UK immigration regulations as a key reason for this, he told popular programme ‘Good Morning Britain‘ on Friday (May 17).

“Every child got to grow up and be independent – and I think that country can be perceived in that same way,” the Kingston-born artiste told broadcaster Noel Phillips during the interview.

All Jamaican citizens are subject to the restrictions if they wish to enter the UK, including the king’s representative, Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen and Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

“Given the historic ties between Jamaica and the UK, we believe it would be good for the visa restrictions to be lifted,” Terrelonge argued. 

As a point of compromise, the state minister had suggested that Britain should begin by lifting travel restrictions on Jamaican creatives, business owners and members of government.