Thursday 20 June 2024 is World Refugee Day, an international day dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of refugees.

It is, of course, important to protect and improve the the health and positions of refugees every day, but this day, World Refugee Day, draws global attention to the issue of refugee protection for those fleeing persecution or armed conflicts. It sheds light on the rights and vulnerabilities of refugees, as well as the responsibilities of the international community to meet their needs, with the aim of not only helping refugees to survive, but move forward towards a better future.

Each year, World Refugee Day is celebrated globally in many countries with various activities to support refugees and create opportunities. Many events are organised by, for example, refugees, or government officials, famous personalities, and civil society.

Dr. Widad Akreyi, co-founder and president of Defend International, marked this day by giving an interview to Australia’s most diverse broadcaster, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), recently named Australia’s most trusted news brand.

Here’s is some of what Dr. Widad said:

“The theme of World Refugee Day 2024 is solidarity, with the vision to create a world where refugees can thrive and achieve their full academic, social and emotional potential. Refugees, like all people, have a right to be treated with dignity and respect… Effective regulations can increase access to equal employment opportunities based on merit. At the same time, young refugees will benefit from educational provision – an enabler of positive outcomes… When given opportunities, refugees do make valuable contributions to their new communities.

“Without peace, though, the refugee crisis cannot be resolved. The most important thing is to find a permanent solution to their situation – that is, to end conflicts, so that refugees can return home in safety.

“In general, more than 120 million people are currently displaced globally, including 43.5 million refugees – a record number propelled by persecution, wars and conflicts around the world. Reflecting on these figures, one cannot help but notice that the number of refugees runs as high as the population of Afghanistan, or the population of eight countries as big as Denmark.

“If you look at it in a different way and take the citizens of Finland, Lebanon, New Zealand, Ireland, Costa Rica, Liberia, and Slovakia into consideration, they will still be less than the number of refugees at the global level.

“And if you look at it in yet another way, there is now more than 76 million migrants. Those are not refugees. They migrate for economic reasons or due to climate change.”

The interview was conducted in Kurdish. To listen, click here to be directed to the SBS website.