Ankara, 21 June 2023
UNHCR Türkiye marked World Refugee Day with a digital exhibition, ‘Hope Away from Home’, which showcases the captivating works of world-renowned artist Platon as part of his multimedia collaboration with UNHCR. The photos of refugees who fled conflict and persecution in various parts of the world and are now living in Türkiye, accompanied by a compelling short documentary, explore the universal desire to be free, safe, respected, valued, and to belong.
By the end of 2022, the number of people displaced by war, persecution, violence and human rights abuses stood at a record 108.4 million, up 19.1 million from a year earlier, which was the largest ever increase. It includes 35.3 million refugees, 62.5 million internally displaced people, 5.4 million asylum seekers and 5.2 million other people in need of international protection. The upward trajectory in global forced displacement showed no sign of slowing in 2023 as the eruption of conflict in Sudan triggered new outflows, pushing the global total to an estimated 110 million by May 2023. Each year, World Refugee Day is marked by various events in many countries around the globe to help focus global attention on the plight of those fleeing conflict.
The exhibition, hosted by UNHCR Türkiye Representative Philippe Leclerc at CerModern in Ankara, was attended by participants, including government representatives, civil society members, foreign mission representatives, donors, UNHCR staff, members of the media, refugees and host community members.
During his speech, UNHCR Türkiye Representative Philippe Leclerc emphasised the significance of this initiative, stating, “This remarkable exhibition comes at a crucial time when conflicts continue to uproot people at an unprecedented pace. The film and images are powerful reminders of who refugees really are: they are individuals with their own personalities, hopes, and dreams, just like our neighbours, friends, and colleagues. By amplifying their voices, this exhibition provides a reality check against the negative public discourse often surrounding people forced to flee”.
Including refugees in the communities where they have found safety after fleeing conflict and persecution is the most effective way to support them in restarting their lives and enable them to contribute to the countries hosting them. It’s also the best way to prepare them to return home and rebuild their countries when conditions allow them to do so safely and voluntarily or to thrive if they are resettled to another country.
Since 2014, Türkiye has been hosting the world’s largest refugee population, with some 4 million refugees and asylum-seekers benefiting from a sound legislative framework. The legal framework is backed up by a policy of inclusion and harmonisation, including refugees and asylum-seekers in services provided by public systems at national, provincial, and local levels.
“World Refugee Day is also a time to recognise the generosity of host countries who have kept their borders and hearts open to people in need of protection. UNHCR is grateful to Türkiye and its people for their generosity and hospitality to refugees, which deserves our respect, solidarity and support”, said Leclerc.
Türkiye’s inclusive humanitarian policy for people in need of international protection for more than 12 years was also reflected in the country’s immediate response in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in February that impacted a region of 15 million people living in 11 provinces, of whom 1.74 million are refugees who have been living side by side with the Turkish citizens in the same buildings which have collapsed.
Continuing to support Türkiye is more critical than ever. Once the humanitarian response reaches the scale and scope required to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the earthquake, more support will be needed for the transition to longer-term recovery, reconstruction and development activities for people to rebuild their lives.
In the face of this extraordinary disaster, UNHCR calls upon the international community to show the people of Türkiye the same kind of support and generosity with which they received, protected and assisted millions of refugees and displaced people in an enormous show of solidarity in line with the Global Compact on Refugees.
You can watch the trailer of the short documentary “Portrait of a Stranger” from here.
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