World Refugee Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000 to honor the contributions of refugees throughout the world and to raise awareness about the growing refugee crisis in places like Syria and Central Africa,
Based on 2018 data, an unprecedented 68.5 million people around the world have been forced from home because of persecution, conflicts or human rights violations.
These people can divided into 3 groups
- Internally displace people 40 million have not crossed a border to find safety. Unlike refugees, they are on the run at home. The numbers have increased by 50% since 2007
- Refugees 25.4 million – It is a legal term. People outside their country due to fear of being persecuted for reason race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion is unable to return. Half of the refugees are children.
Most of the refugees are hosted by – Turkey (3.5m), Pakistan (1.4m), Uganda (1.4m), Lebanon (998,900m), Iran (979,400), Germany (970,400), Bangladesh (932,200), Sudan (906,600), Ethiopia (889,400), Jordan (691,000).
- Asylum seekers 3.1 millions An asylum-seeker is someone whose request for sanctuary has yet to be processed and whose claim for refugee status has not been determined
Bishop Curry on World Refugee Day
Role of Episcopal Migration Ministries
There are three durable solutions for refugees: repatriation, integration, and resettlement. Thankfully, in many cases, refugees are able to repatriate or return to their home countries once the conflicts there have ceased and civil society has stabilized. Other refugees, who may not be able to return home, are able instead to integrate into the country of first asylum – the country to which they fled for safety. The remaining group of refugees – less than 1 in 100 refugees – is resettled to another nation.
Episcopal Migration Ministries is the church’s foremost response to refugee crises. Working in partnership with offices and groups within the church as well as with governments, non-government organizations (NGOs), and a network of 30 affiliate offices in 26 dioceses, Episcopal Migration Ministries assures safe passage and provides vital services for thousands of refugee families upon their arrival in America: English language and cultural orientation classes, employment services, school enrollment, and initial assistance with housing and transportation. For each family, the goal is self-reliance and self-determination. After years of living in limbo, thanks to Episcopal Migration Ministries, refugees now have the opportunity to begin again on a strong foundation that honors their stories and dignity.
Each year, Episcopal Migration Ministries and its network of local affiliate partners welcome more than 3,000 refugees from more than 30 countries. From the moment they arrive in their new communities, refugee clients receive care, hospitality, and assistance from professional affiliate staff and from the hundreds of generous church volunteers who welcome the stranger through this ministry each year.