WASHINGTON D.C., United States (Reuters) — Actress Angelina Jolie joined U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for meetings regarding the plight of migrants on World Refugee Day
on Monday (June 20).
“We cannot ignore or turn our backs on” the more than 65 million people displaced by conflict, Jolie, a Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said.
Jolie met with several refugees at the State Department in Washington and participated in a roundtable on the issue.
Efforts to address refugees can’t just be limited to aid and resettlement, Jolie said. She also expressed concern about anti-refugee sentiment in Europe and the U.S.
“We are seeing rising intolerance and xenophobia but strength lies in mastering and channeling our emotions so that we pursue policies that reduce not inflame threats to our security,” Jolie said.
Kerry echoed similar sentiments.
“We are living in a contentious time when some try to make a negative out of being a refugee, to somehow turn people who are refugees into threats.”
Immigration and U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision to accept 10,000 refugees from Syria are hot button topics in the U.S. and are expected to factor into the upcoming presidential election.
