Saturday 20th of June was a World Refugee day. Its a day we all think of people forced to flee, we think of how best to address their growing needs, find durable solutions and provide them with agency and say in their lives. In recent years however, support to refugees have been decreasing, due to internal politics in many contexts; refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers are viewed as a burden rather than a human with potential and inspiration.
We have seen a deterioraring international protection contexts, funds for resettlement and refugee protection decreased and increased negative views.
We have also seen global displacement crisis increasing due to conflicts and climate change, today 123 million people are displaced globally. Today, the humanitarian system that protectes them has shrunk by more than 30% and is projected to further decrease.
Today Europe is outsourcing its International protection obligations and we see these in the daily realities of people forced to flee. Unfortunately, those decisions have human cost !
According to UNHCR: World Refugee Day shines a light on the rights, needs and dreams of refugees, helping to mobilize political will and resources so refugees can not only survive but thrive. While it is important to protect and improve the lives of refugees every single day, international days like World Refugee Day help to focus global attention on the plight of those fleeing conflict or persecution. Many activities held on World Refugee Day create opportunities to support refugees.
World Refugee Day falls each year on 20 June and is dedicated to refugees around the globe. World Refugee Day was held globally for the first time on 20 June 2001 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. It was originally known as Africa Refugee Day, before the United Nations General Assembly officially designated it as an international day in December 2000.
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