With just weeks before Britain goes to the polls over remaining a member of the European Union, Angelina Jolie has called upon the countries that make up the EU to do more to address the ongoing refugee crisis. Speaking at the BBC’s World on the Move day as part of her role as the UN refugee agency’s special envoy, the actor and director voiced her frustration over a “fear of migration” that she believes is causing the current refugee system to break down.
“Over 60 million people are displaced today, more than any time in the last 70 years,” she told the room at the beginning of her keynote speech. “That is one in every 122 people.” Jolie went on to suggest that the answer to the crisis lies not isolationism, but in a “once-in-a-generation moment when nations have to pull together,” adding, “if your neighbor’s house is on fire, you are not safe if you lock your doors. Strength lies in being unafraid.”
While the Goodwill Ambassador used her platform to share thoughts on US Presidential candidate Donald Trump (“To me, America is built on people from around the world coming together for freedoms, especially freedom of religion”), she also appeared to urge Britain to remain in the EU, stating that the “worst possible choice we could now make is to decide to step back from the world.” Watch the talk in full below.
Registration for the EU Referendum ends June 7; find out how to register at Aboutmyvote.co.uk and register online at GOV.UK/register-to-vote.
Credits
Text Matthew Whitehouse