This year, the theme of World Refugee Day is the right to seek safety. Our core message is that everyone has a right to seek safety, whoever they are, wherever they come from and whenever they are forced to flee.
Jakarta, 20 June 2022 – This year, the World Refugee Day is marked with a new record of global displacement number in history. The UN Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) 2021 Global Trends – released on 17 June – reported that by end of 2021, those displaced by war, violence, persecution, human rights abuses stood at 89.3 million people, up 8 percent on a year earlier and well over double the figure of 10 years ago. Meanwhile, the number of refugees in 2021 rose to 27.1 million from 26.4 million in 2020.
In 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine – causing the fastest and one of the largest forced displacement crises since World War II – and other emergencies, from Africa to Afghanistan and beyond, pushed the displacement figure over the dramatic milestone of 100 million by May 2022.
“The World Refugee Day theme this year is ‘Right to Seek Safety’. By marking the World Refugee Day with us, you have shown that you stand with refugees. We must commit together to protecting each and every person forced to flee – whoever they are, wherever they come from, and whenever they are forced to flee,” said Ann Maymann, UNHCR Representative in Indonesia.
Indonesia is a country which has given access to its territory to people who have been forced to flee conflict, persecution or human rights violations. In Asia Pacific region, Indonesia has for many years set an example for its humanitarian principles and have not shut its door as we have seen it in other parts of the region and the world. Indonesians’ solidarity with the refugees gives refugees a sense of security.
There are currently more than 13,100 refugees from some 50 countries of origin living in several cities in Indonesia, including Medan, Aceh, Pekanbaru, Batam, Surabaya, Kupang, Makassar, Jakarta, Semarang and a few other cities. They live among the Indonesian communities and for many years they have contributed to the area where they live. They can contribute more if they are given the opportunity.
To commemorate World Refugee Day, some refugees in different locations cooked their traditional food and shared the dishes with their neighbors and Indonesian friends. During today’s event in Jakarta, the recipes are launched as a book “From the Plates of Refugees” and shared with the attending government counterparts, partners, donors and supporters. UNHCR will soon make it available for the
public to buy.
“On this special day, let us honour the courage, strength and contributions of the millions of displaced people around the world. Let us also remember that with help from welcoming neighbours, communities and states, refugees can rebuild their lives and their networks, and contribute and thrive wherever they reside,” added Maymann.
ENDS
Media Contact:
Mitra Suryono, Associate Communications Officer, [email protected]
Additional information / supporting multimedia materials:
UNHCR’s Global Trends report and an accompanying package of multimedia assets are available on our media page.
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