World Refugee Day – 20 June 2025
“Refugees are people who have fled their countries to escape conflict, violence, or persecution and have sought safety in another country”
(United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR)
Designated officially by UNHCR in December 2000, 20th of June is celebrated annually as World Refugee Day to bring awareness to the flight and rights of refugees and celebrate the contributions of refugee background individuals and communities to all aspects of society. Celebrated for the first time on 20 June 2001 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention for refugees, it is now a weeklong celebration in many countries, including New Zealand where Refugee Week falls from 16 June to 22nd June.
122.6 million people were recorded to have been forcibly displaced worldwide as of mid-2024 according to UNHCR statistics database, of which 37.9 million were recognised refugees. More than half are children. Currently 65% of refugees worldwide come from just four countries: Syria, Venezuela, Ukraine and Afghanistan. In the first half of 2024, those returning to their home countries were recorded at 433,600 while 85,000 were resettled in another country with or without UNHCR assistance.
There are many negative stereotypes about refugees from being helpless, useless, problematic, scroungers to criminals that are fuelled by fear of the unknown, and negative pollical and media rhetoric. The truth is that any one of us could become a refugee if circumstances change. The first formal refugees to New Zealand were the Polish in 1944; but small groups of people from Europe and Russia who were in effect refugees fleeing persecution, settled here in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Forced to leave, refugees have had to abandon their homes, families, hopes and dreams and run in search of safety for their lives with no certainty that they will be safe. Despite the physical and emotional traumas and the constant challenges they may have faced, people of refugee background contribute to society more than most people realise. You will find people of refugee background in almost every profession imaginable. Refugee Week provides opportunities for people from all walks of life to form connections, breakdown stereotypes, and gain greater awareness and understanding about the refugee journey and that every refugee experience is different.
This year’s theme for Refugee Week is ‘Community as a Superpower’, highlighting the importance of social capital on positive refugee settlement. Birgit Grafaren-Watungwa (Chief Executive, HOST International Aotearoa New Zealand) says community are the invincible unsung heroes that come together as a collective, drawing on their networks and resources to create social connectedness and inclusion. It is not easy to lose everything and start life again in a new country. For people who have been uprooted from their country of origin, communities help build a sense of belonging and a sense of place. HOST International is a charitable organisation that co-ordinates and facilitates the resettlement of refugees in New Zealand through the Community Refugee Sponsorship (CORS) programme. Just over 180 individuals have arrived under this programme since 2023 and have settled across the nation in both urban and rural localities. Birgit stated that the sponsoring community organisations have been vital in helping individuals and families navigate not just systems but cultural differences by being intercultural ambassadors.
Genuine listening and offering support even through a smile can bridge divides and create the sense of community. Do not be afraid to ask if you do not know or understand. Relationships based on mutual respect and understanding and recognition of equality and differences between us can unite individuals as strong supportive communities whose collective strength and resilience can bring about positive change for all.
Contributed by Dulani Abeysinghe, eCALD® Educator, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
Image credit: Freedom of Spirit: Dedicated to all Refugee Mothers Artist: Adel Salmanzadeh
