Refugees' Day is today (June 20)

Today (June 20) marks International Refugee Day, declared by the United Nations to recognize the courage, strength, and unwavering efforts of millions of refugees worldwide in rebuilding their lives. This year's celebration, especially in 2026, marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which protects the rights of refugees, and its official theme this year is "Until Everyone Is Safe".

Through this theme, the global community is strongly emphasized that safety is a fundamental human right common to all humankind, which should not be limited by an individual's background.

Looking at the history of this International Day, it originally began as "African Refugee Day" with the aim of showing solidarity with displaced persons in the African region. Later, with the aim of demonstrating the global importance of the refugee issue and African solidarity to the world, the United Nations General Assembly decided to elevate it to an international level through a special resolution adopted on December 4, 2000. Accordingly, the world's first International Refugee Day was officially celebrated on June 20, 2001, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the aforementioned 1951 Convention.

The latest data reports released by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) indicate that the current global refugee crisis has reached an unprecedented severe level. By mid-2025, the total number of people forcibly displaced worldwide due to various conflicts and persecutions has exceeded 117.3 million. Of this total, 41.6 million are refugees, with 35.6 million under the direct supervision of UNHCR, and another 6 million Palestinian refugees registered under UNRWA. Additionally, the number of internally displaced persons within their own countries is recorded as 68.7 million, and the tragic situation where 38 percent of all these displaced persons are innocent children demands global attention.

It is a remarkable fact that the burden of providing refuge to the majority of global refugees is borne not by the world's wealthy countries, but by low and middle-income countries facing economic difficulties. According to data, 71 percent of all refugees live in such low and middle-income countries, and the world's least developed countries also bear an unbearable burden, providing refuge to 25 percent of refugees. Currently, the world's largest refugee crises are centered in countries like Sudan, Ukraine, Syria, Myanmar, and Afghanistan, where 13.4 million people have been displaced.

The 1951 Refugee Convention, which serves as a protective shield for the world's refugees, accurately defines what a refugee is. Accordingly, every person who is unable to return to their home country due to a well-founded fear of being subjected to severe persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is recognized as a refugee. One of the most important principles of this convention is "Non-refoulement," which means that no refugee shall be forcibly returned to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened. In addition, many fundamental human rights such as the right to work, education, housing, humanitarian assistance, and freedom of movement are also guaranteed through this.

With this year's theme "Until Everyone Is Safe" as its focus, various programs are being implemented in over 100 countries worldwide to emphasize that safety is not determined by a person's race, wealth, religion, or other factors. The voices of refugees are amplified through social media campaigns like #WithRefugees and #WorldRefugeeDay, as well as music concerts, plays, film screenings, and telecast programs organized jointly by refugee communities, various governments, students, and UNHCR. The main objective is to encourage governments to strengthen existing refugee protection systems, extend the support of humanitarian aid contributors, and foster care for them within communities.

Looking at the global history and present of refugees, Sri Lanka is a country directly intertwined with this issue. Sri Lanka currently acts as a host country for refugees arriving from foreign countries such as Pakistan and Myanmar, working in cooperation with UNHCR to provide them with necessary facilities. Furthermore, it is important to remember on this day how a large number of Sri Lankans, especially from the Tamil community, migrated as refugees to Canada and European countries due to the internal wartime situation that prevailed in the country in the past. In conjunction with International Refugee Day, various discussions and community projects are also implemented at a local level within the country.