June 20 is World Refugee Day. The United Nations General Assembly decided to create this day in 2000. It marks the 50th anniversary of the international convention relating to the status of refugees. The day is also Africa Refugee Day. A different theme is chosen each year to raise awareness of the difficulties refugees face. The United Nations refugee agency is the UNHCR – the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. It coordinates events worldwide to protect refugees and improve their lives in their countries of refuge. The UNHCR also provides legal assistance to refugees to try and give them legal status in other countries. Another function of the UNHCR is to help refugees return to their home countries.

A refugee is a person who flees from their home country to escape danger. Some refugees are escaping disasters like war and famine. Others are political refugees, who are in danger of being attacked or killed by their own government. Once a person becomes a refugee, he or she seeks asylum in their country of refuge. The largest group of refugees are the 4.5 million Palestinians, who live in refugee camps in Gaza, the West Bank and surrounding areas. Most of the world’s newer refugees come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Myanmar and Sudan. The issue of refugee status has become very complex in recent years. Globalization has made it easier for people to cross borders. It is often unclear whether someone is a refugee or an economic migrant.

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