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 2022This year, World Refugee Day is marked by a new record in history, regarding the number of people forced to flee around the world. The UNHCR (United Nations Agency for Refugees) Global Trends Report 2021 – released on 17 June – reports that by the end of 2021, those forced to flee war, violence,
persecution and human rights violations reached 89.3 million people, an increase of 8 percent from the previous year and more than double the number 10 years ago. Meanwhile, the number of refugees at the end of 2021 increased to 27.1 million people from 26.4 million in 2020.
In 2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – causing its fastest growing displacement crisis and one of the largest since World War II – plus several crises, from Africa to Afghanistan and beyond, pushed the number of people forced to flee past the milestone.
dramatically 100 million people in May 2022.
“The theme of this year’s World Refugee Day is ‘Right to Seek Safety’. By celebrating World Refugee Day with us, you have shown that you are “standing” with refugees. We must commit together to protect everyone who is forced to flee – whoever they are, wherever they come from and whenever they are forced to flee,” said Ann Maymann, Head of UNHCR Representative in Indonesia.
Indonesia is a country that has provided access to its territory for people forced to flee conflict, persecution and human rights violations. In the Asia Pacific region, for many years Indonesia has been a good example of the humanitarian principles that are enforced, which do not close the door as has been done by some other countries in the region or in other parts of the world. Solidarity from Indonesia for refugees gives them a feeling of security.
Currently, there are more than 13,100 refugees from around 50 countries of origin, living in several cities in Indonesia, including Medan, Aceh, Pekanbaru, Batam, Surabaya, Kupang, Makassar, Jakarta, Semarang and several other cities. They live in the Indonesian community and have contributed to the area they live in for many years. They can contribute even more if they are given the opportunity.
In commemoration of World Refugee Day, several refugees in different locations cook traditional food from their country of origin and share it with their Indonesian neighbors and friends. During today’s event, a collection of recipes from refugees was launched in the form of a book entitled “From the Plates of Refugees” and distributed to attendees from government, business partners, donors and supporters. UNHCR will soon make the cookbook available for public purchase.
“On this special day, let us honor the courage, determination and contribution of the millions of people forced to flee around the world. Let us also remember that with the help of neighbors, communities and countries that open their hands, refugees can rebuild their lives, contribute and become successful people wherever they are,” added Ann.
Media Contact:
Mitra Suryono, Associate Communications Officer, [email protected]
Additional information/supporting multimedia material:
UNHCR’s Global Trends Report and its supporting multimedia assets are available in our media page.
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