June 20 - World Refugee Day
The United Nations General Assembly designated
June 20, 2000 as World Refugee Day to recognize and celebrate the contribution
of refugees throughout the world. Since then, World Refugee Day has become an
annual commemoration marked by a variety of events in over a hundred countries.
International law defines refugees as people who are
unable or unwilling to return to their countries because of a well-founded fear
of persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or
belonging to a particular social group. What international law does not describe
is the sheer courage and hope that characterize most refugees, wherever they
are.
Under international law, refugees are
individuals who:
`~ are outside their country of nationality or habitual residence;
`~ have a well-founded fear of persecution because of their race, religion,
nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and
`~ are unable or unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that
country, or to return there, for fear of persecution.
Presently, the United Nations cares
for nearly 20 million refugees through its High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
June 20 - World Refugee Day
Just as we make a special effort to remember our mothers on Mother's Day, let the world's refugees to be remembered on their special day.
"Hope" was the theme for 2006 World Refugee Day.
Despite the enormity of
their suffering, refugees never give up their dream of home and all it entails
... the fact they maintain that "hope", sometimes against all odds, should be an
inspiration to us all.
The latest statistics show the global
number of refugees, some 8.4 million people, has fallen to the lowest level in
26 years as more than 6 million
refugees have returned to their countries of origin in the last four years.
Returning refugees often still face a bleak future back home and greater efforts
are needed to ensure that countries recovering from years of
violence receive the necessary help during the critical post-conflict phase.
Every day people make decisions to leave their homes, communities and countries.
Some leave because they are afraid - afraid for their lives, and for the lives
of their children and loved ones. Others leave because their social or economic
situation has compelled them to do so.
One of the most important rights common to all refugees, asylum-seekers,
migrants and internally displaced persons (IDPs) is the right to
non-discrimination. This right is at the core of all human rights.
If there is one common trait among the tens of millions of refugees that we at the UN refugee agency have helped over the past 55 years, it's the fact that despite losing everything, they never give up "HOPE".
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Some Facts:
Who are "refugees"?
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) defines a "refugee" as a person who has fled his/her country of nationality (or habitual residence) and who is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of a "well-founded" fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. This definition of a "refugee" excludes those who have left their homes only to seek a more prosperous life.
What happens to refugees as they flee persecution?
The refugee journey is a long one. Many refugees are forced to leave their homes without warning and cannot even bring basic necessities with them. When these individuals flee, they try to get to a country where they will be allowed to stay until they are allowed to migrate as a refugee. For every person who gets to a refugee camp, there is one who does not. Once the individual reaches the refugee camp, he/she is often placed in an overcrowded and under-supplied camp and exposed to disease, crime, and other harsh conditions. The individual usually stays in the camp until the host country accepts his/her application for residency. The wait for acceptance ranges from one month to eight years.
How does a refugee become a refugee?
The process for proving "refugee" status is often very difficult. The countries that accept refugees for resettlement examine the lists of individuals and determine if any of these individuals meet their own criteria for resettlement. This process can take a long time; even after a refugee is accepted as eligible for resettlement, there is often a very long wait for an available slot in the country that has accepted his/her application.
What are the options for refugees?