World Refugee day Jun 20, 2020

Who is a refugee?

A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal and religious violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries.

World Refugee Day

World Refugee Day is an expression of solidarity with people who have been uprooted from their homes by war or persecution. This day is intended to “commemorate the strength, courage, and resilience of millions of refugees.” More than 100 countries participate in celebrating World Refugee Day each year.

Since 2001, World Refugee Day (WRD) has been celebrated  onthe 20^th June in refugee producing areas, receiving countries and resettlement countries across the globe.

Prior to that, many regions had celebrated their own versions of refugee day, the largest being African Refugee Day.

“Refugee Day” has been observed in  Africa  since  20  June  1975  under  the  supervision  of  the  Organization  of  African  Unity. In solidarity with Africa, WRD was formally established by a UN resolution from December 2000 which determined that “from 2001, 20 June will be celebrated as World Refugee Day.”

Refugee population in the world

The latest figures from the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, show that at least 65.6 million people have been forcibly displaced within their own countries or flee to other countries usually across borders.

65.3 million People around the world have been forcibly displaced, and approximately half of them are children.

21.3 million People meet the Convention’s definition of refugee: someone who is “persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, [or] membership of a particular social group or political opinion.”

10 million people are stateless, who have been denied a nationality and all the basic rights — education, health care, political participation, freedom of movement — that come with it.

Rohingya Refugee Exodus

Apart from 1978 refugee exodus, over a million Rohingya refugees have fled violence in Myanmar in successive waves of displacement since the early 1990s

More than 700,000 ethnic Rohingya from Myanmar fled to Bangladesh following a campaign of targeted genocidal violence against the community that began in August 2017. Within weeks, the exodus was recognized as the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis.

The vast majority reaching Bangladesh are women and children, and more than 40 per cent are under age 12. Many others are elderly people requiring additional aid and protection. They have nothing and need everything.

Solution to the Rohingya Crisis

Any sustainable long lasting solution to the Rohingya crisis will require addressing the root causes of the crisis, including repealing of 1982 discriminatory citizenship law, re-recognition of Rohingya ethnic identity and citizenship in Myanmar and guaranteeing the of the basic socioeconomic and political rights of the Rohingya people. These are steps that must be taken by the authorities in Myanmar.

The concerned Myanmar army officers who carried out genocidal operation against Rohingya should bring to ICJ, ICC. As long as refugees remain in Bangladesh, the government of Bangladesh removes barriers so that the UN agencies can improve their condition, and that international donors provide sufficient support for humanitarian efforts.

Finally, the United States, UK, EU, OIC and other UN member states should give pressure to Myanmar to repatriate Rohingya to their original places of domicile and with guaranteeing all their rights.  On this grim anniversary, there is still much that the world can and must do to address the plight of the Rohingya. 

GLOBAL ROHINGYA FORUM (GRF)