New York: World Refugee Day is observed globally every year on 20 June. The United Nations has designated this special day to honour refugees around the globe. The day celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to leave their home country to escape conflict, terror or persecution.
This year’s theme is on the ‘Right to Seek Safety,’ as per the UNHCR.
World Refugee Day first came into existence on 20 June in the year 2001, on the 50th anniversary of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention regarding the Status of Refugees. The day was previously known as Africa Refugee Day. In December 2000, the United Nations officially designated the day as ‘World Refugee Day.’
This year, the theme for World Refugee Day focuses on the right to seek safety. The theme is ‘Whoever, Whatever, Whenever. Everyone has the right to seek safety.’ It means that every refugee should be welcomed and treated with dignity regardless of their birthplace, origin, race or religion.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) survey in 2021, more than 26.6 million refugees are there globally. To create awareness about the issues that refugees are facing, the United Nations recognised June 20 as World Refugee Day. According to Article 1(A)(2) of the 1951 Refugee Convention, “A refugee is an individual who has been forced to leave his country of nationality or habitual residence and is unable or unwilling to return for fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group”.
The 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees was an international treaty that provided security and rights to refugees during the end of World War 2.
Comments are closed.