Rita Ora has opened up about the “racism and indifference” that she and her family suffered when they first arrived in Britain as refugees over twenty years ago.

The 25 year old singer, whose family were forced to flee Kosovo when she was only a baby upon the outbreak of war in 1992, was one of many speakers at We Day UK at London’s Wembley Stadium on Wednesday evening (March 9th).

Rita OraRita Ora speaking at the We Day UK event at Wembley Stadium

“I was born in Kosovo, and when I was one year old, had to flee the country with my parents and sister,” the pop star and ‘X Factor’ judge told the crowd in a heartfelt speech. “The word refugee carries a lot of prejudice… and not everyone is comfortable having refugees settle into their environment.”

“Some people make negative judgements on new immigrants and others simply turn a blind eye,” she remembered about her family’s experience as she was growing up in London.

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Ora was made an honorary ambassador for Kosovo, a partially recognised state whose independence is a point of fierce contention among many Balkan states, last July.

“This is an opportunity for all of us to reach out and embrace families and people in a time of need. So many positives are coming out of this situation, but two of these issues my family faced when we first arrived are ever-present: racism and indifference. These attitudes need to change… and we can approach this crisis with compassion and care. If we take action, we help everyone thrive.”

Rita, whose father Besnik is Muslim, also addressed what she described as the “rise” of Islamophobia in Britain since the Syrian refugee crisis exploded last summer. “Islamophobia is on the rise… and some people are making negative judgements on new immigrants, and British citizens, based on their skin colour, clothing and more.”

Fleur East, Clive Owen, Joe Jonas’ new band DNCE and rapper Labrinth were among other star names to speak and perform at the event, which aims at getting young people engaged with events of global significance.

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