Shakira: She complains “constant fear” of migrants

The Colombian singer Shakira (48) talked about the hurdles with which immigrants in the United States have to struggle. The musician who started her career as a teenager in Colombia and moved to the United States in the late 1990s speaks from her own experience.

“I was only 19 when I moved to the USA – like many other Colombian immigrants who are looking for a better future in this country,” Shakira told the British broadcaster. At that time, she still had to make use of Spanish-English dictionaries because there was no Google or chatt. “Everything was very unsure,” recalled the Grammy winner.

In view of the current migration policy under Donald Trump (79), the singer was particularly moving. She describes the far -reaching deportation measures that triggered protests nationwide. When asked what it feels like today to live as immigrants in the United States, she replied: “That means living in constant fear. And it is painful to see that.” The singer obviously refers to the latest raids from the US immigration and customs authority in Los Angeles, which are part of Trump’s promise, to carry out the greatest deportation operation in history.

Despite the tense situation, Shakira calls for solidarity: “Now, more than ever, we have to stay united. Now, more than ever, we have to raise our voices and make it very clear that a country can change its immigration policy, but the treatment of all people must always be human.”

These clear words are not Shakira’s first public support for migrants. Already at the 67th Grammy Awards in February, she had kept an emotional acceptance speech when she accepted the prize for the best Latin pop album. “I would like to devote this award to all my migrant brothers and sisters in this country,” she said to millions of spectators at the time. “You will be loved, you are valuable and I will always fight with you.”