Key Highlights :
Pop star Dua Lipa has criticised the way ministers have discussed migrants as “short-sighted and small-minded”. Lipa, born in London to Kosovan-Albanian parents, said the way the Government has discussed Albanians caused her “hurt” as she called for “more empathy”.
Home secretary Suella Braverman singled out “Albanian criminals” as she claimed there was an “invasion” of England in a Commons debate on small boat crossings of the Channel. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Lipa said: “Of course it hurt. All those words thrown around about immigrants? I always felt London was an amalgamation of cultures. It is integral to the city. So when you hear the Government talk about Albanians, for example, it hurts. It’s short-sighted and small-minded, but it’s the way a lot of people think.”
Lipa emphasised that immigrants who have come to the UK have worked hard to earn their keep. “No matter how we try and change the rhetoric, there will always be those who think, ‘Immigrants are coming into the country and taking jobs.’ However, immigrants who have come here have earned their keep by working incredibly hard. There needs to be more empathy, because people don’t leave their country unless they have to out of necessity, out of fear for their family,” she said.
Albania’s prime minister Edi Rama has also criticised the “very, very disgraceful” singling out of Albanians by ministers, particularly Ms Braverman. During a meeting with Rishi Sunak in No 10 in March, Mr Rama cited Lipa as an example of the positives that Albanians bring to Britain. “Dua Lipa is not just simply a British singer, but she’s an Albanian immigrant that has come here, as many have come, to construct, to nurse, to cook and to sing for you, and we want to make sure that this community feels not only safe but feels honoured here,” he said.
Lipa’s parents left Kosovo in around 1992, as the tensions that led to the war that started six years later began to surface. The pop star has since become a global star, winning two Brit Awards and two Grammy Awards. Her success has been celebrated by the Albanian community, and she has often spoken of her pride in her heritage.
Lipa’s comments reflect the feelings of many Albanians who have come to the UK in search of a better life. The singer is not alone in her criticism of the way the Government has discussed Albanians, and her words have been echoed by many in the Albanian diaspora.
The Government must recognise the contribution that Albanians have made to the UK, and it must take steps to ensure that all migrants are treated with respect and dignity. Lipa’s words should be a reminder to ministers of the importance of understanding the experiences of migrants, and of the need for empathy and compassion.