© UNICEF By mid-2025, there were 117.3 million people worldwide forced to flee their homes due to persecution, conflict, violence and human rights violations. World Refugee Day: “Until everyone is safe, no one is safe” Refugees and Migrants
Every minute, 20 people on Earth flee their homes due to war, persecution or fear for their lives. The UN reminds us of this on the occasion of World Refugee Day celebrated on June 20.
By mid-2025, there were 117.3 million people worldwide who were forced to flee their homes (both refugees and internally displaced people). Low- and middle-income host countries account for 71 percent of all refugees and others in need of international protection.
As of mid-2025, Sudan was the world’s largest population displacement country, with 13.4 million refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons.
“In these turbulent times, it is especially important to show solidarity and take decisive action to protect people displaced by conflict or persecution,” the UN Secretary-General said in a message on World Refugee Day. asylum.
On the eve of World Day, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) called on the international community to renew its commitment to protect and support the nearly 42 million people who have been forced to flee their countries due to war, violence and persecution.
In a statement, UNHCR chief Barham Saleh reminds us that refugees contribute every day to the societies that host them – as workers, students, neighbors, entrepreneurs, artists and athletes: “Given the opportunity, they rebuild their lives and contribute to the development of society.” life”
The decision to leave home in search of safety is one of the most difficult in any person’s life. “I know this from my own experience,” said Barham Saleh, emphasizing that refugee status should not determine a person’s entire future life. Even though millions of people have been forced to leave their homes, they must not lose hope of safe housing, access to education and decent work opportunities.
However, the reality remains stark: many refugees find themselves in long-term dependence on humanitarian aid, which is dwindling around the world. UNHCR will continue to provide emergency support to displaced people, however, as the statement emphasizes, “humanitarian assistance saves lives, but cannot be the end goal.” For many people, an emergency turns into years, sometimes decades, of waiting.
To change this dynamic, UNHCR is setting an ambitious target to halve the number of refugees in protracted displacement dependent on humanitarian assistance within ten years. Particular attention will be paid to low- and middle-income countries that host the majority of refugees. According to the High Commissioner, achieving this goal will move from “displacement management” to real solutions to the problem. a person fleeing war or persecution to seek refuge and protection.
“Today my message is very clear: we must continue to fulfill this promise. Until everyone is safe, no one is safe,” said the High Commissioner.
Saleh stressed that the right to seek asylum is not just an expression of solidarity, but a call to action. This right was created precisely for times like these, and its protection is a shared responsibility.