In MIA’s newest song “Borders”, she sings about refugees coming to Europe. During the video MIA is surrounded by what seems to be thousands of Middle Eastern men climbing fences and piling on to boats trying to escape their countries. These images are accompanied with her lyrics, “Borders. What’s up with that? Politics. What’s up with that? Police shots. What’s up with that? Identities. What’s up with that? Your privilege. What’s up with that? Broke people. What’s up with that? Boat people. What’s up with that?”

This video has sparked recent controversy not only because of the political statement but because, MIA is pictured wearing a Paris Saint Germain football club jersey, where the jersey has been altered to say Fly Pirates instead of Fly Emirates; the clubs sponsor. The soccer club has threatened MIA in a long letter stating she needs to delete the video and all images of her wearing the altered jersey, because according to them it is damaging and harming the reputation of the team.

Some fans have written that the jersey is the artist taking a jab at Qatar for their treatment of migrant workers while building stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It is estimated 4,000 will have died by the time the games arrive due to the conditions they are working in according Barry Meier at The New York Times.  MIA, an artist whose songs continue to have political messages, has replied to their letter with a tweet of a photo of herself wearing the jersey, with the caption “#MIAvsPSG”.

MIA takes the issue of refugees personally since she migrated to London from Sri Lanka during a civil war as a small child, the reason why she was inspired to write the song during all the controversy of Syrian refugees being or not being accepted in to countries. Throughout the song she says “what’s up with that?” her point being, why are there borders and why aren’t people treating each other like people.

Once again the female rapper makes her listeners aware and makes them question what is going on in the world.