Dame Joanna Lumley has called for a fundamental shift in how the world approaches immigration, arguing that the focus should move away from border controls towards addressing the root causes that force people to leave their homelands. The veteran actor and campaigner said warfare, food shortages and lack of infrastructure are the primary drivers of global migration.
The 79-year-old emphasised that most people would prefer to remain in their own countries if conditions allowed. "Most people would much rather remain in their own homeland. We all have a great protection feeling to our own homeland," she said.
Root causes over border controls
Dame Joanna argued that the current approach of "putting up fences" is fundamentally flawed and that the international community should instead work to create stability in developing nations. She said countries need support to "grow crops," establish "factories," and build "schools and hospitals" to make regions "safe and stable and functioning."
"The reason they move is that either it cannot yield enough food for them to live on, or the warfare is such that they're in danger of their lives, or they want a better life," she explained. She acknowledged that small countries cannot support unlimited numbers but called for more outward-thinking approaches.
Practical solutions proposed
The campaigner outlined specific interventions that could help, including providing fresh water for irrigation and environmental restoration projects. "We've got to grow the desert, to green the desert, to plant the trees to stabilise the land," she said.
Dame Joanna referenced a Biblical quote she had seen in a Paris bookshop: "And the Lord said be not inhospitable to strangers, lest they be angels in disguise." She warned against being driven purely by concerns about numbers while acknowledging legitimate capacity constraints.
Personal connection to global issues
Dame Joanna's perspective is informed by her own international background, having been born in India while her father served with the Gurkhas and spending much of her childhood overseas. She joked about still keeping her British nationality papers "just in case they tried to throw me out."
She was speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival to promote her new book, "My Book Of Treasures: A Collection Of Favourite Writings." The book comprises her favourite writings, thoughts and quotes from her private notebooks.
From struggling actor to campaigner
The conversation also covered her acting career, which began when she performed on stage aged six and knew immediately that was her calling. Despite being rejected by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she landed her breakthrough role as Purdey in The New Avengers.
"It sounds extraordinary to say now but the hunt for The New Avenger woman was almost as keen as the thought of a new James Bond," she said. Before her success, she recalled having to make do with "sour milk because you couldn't afford to get new stuff" and stamping on sheets in the bath because she "couldn't even afford the launderette."
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
