World Refugee Day: Iran marks 40 years of collaboration with UNHCR seeking solutions for refugees

Every year, on 20 June, the world marks World Refugee Day to honor the courage and hopes of the millions of people forced to flee war, violence, and persecution. This year, World Refugee Day focuses on solidarity with and solutions for refugees.

The number of forcibly displaced people hit another record high of 120 million by May 2024. At a time of widespread conflict, political and economic upheaval, refugees need solidarity now more than ever. Above all, solidarity with people forced to flee is about finding solutions.

World Refugee Day is also a time to recognize the generosity of host countries who have kept their hearts open to people in need of international protection. As one of the world’s leading refugee hosting countries with 3.8 million refugees and refugee-like persons, the Islamic Republic of Iran has shown incredible generosity towards refugees by allowing them access to health, education, and livelihoods opportunities. Despite battling its own economic challenges, the Government of Iran has continued to invest in critical services for refugees and has maintained its inclusive policies all along.

“World Refugee Day is not only an occasion to celebrate the courage and perseverance of refugees, but also of their host communities with whom they live side by side and the host government. This is also a day for solidarity with Iran and its people for generously hosting Afghan refugees for over four decades”, said Yumiko Takashima, the UNHCR Representative in Iran. The UNHCR Representative also called on the international community to support Iran so that it can continue upholding its refugee-inclusive policies. “International responsibility-sharing is a must if we want to help host governments to sustainably support and find solutions to refugee situations, especially a protracted situation such as Iran”, added the Representative.

To mark the importance of this day, UNHCR and its governmental counterpart, the National Organization for Migration (NOM) are holding a photography contest exhibiting “40 years of collaboration for refugees” during the month of June.

2024 marks 40 years since UNHCR established its presence in Iran, in response to the Afghan refugees fleeing war in Afghanistan in the 1980s. For over four decades, the agency has worked with the Government of Iran and its various ministries complementing their efforts in seeking ways to better the lives of refugees in the country. It is with the solidarity and support of the global community that better solutions can be sought and offered to refugees and their host communities.

Note for editors: Findings from the Global Trends Report

Forced displacement surged to historic new levels across the globe last year according to UNHCR’s 2024 flagship Global Trends Report. The rise in overall forced displacement – to 120 million by May 2024 – was the 12th consecutive annual increase and reflects both new and mutating conflicts and a failure to resolve long-standing crises. The figure would make the global displaced population equivalent to the 12th largest country in the world, around the size of Japan’s.

Globally, nearly 10.9 million Afghans remained displaced, almost all within their country or in neighbouring countries. In 2023, the number of Afghan refugees reported globally increased by 741,400 to reach 6.4 million, mostly reflecting new population estimates reported by both the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan. Opportunities for sustainable return remain limited, as almost half the population of more than 40 million people in Afghanistan face acute food insecurity, and millions remain displaced from their homes within the country.

Moreover, the largest refugee population globally were Afghans, constituting one in six of all refugees under UNHCR’s mandate. As in previous years 90 per cent of all Afghan refugees were hosted in the Islamic Republic of Iran (3.8 million) and Pakistan (2 million).