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World Refugee Day 2023

Date: 20 June 2023

World Refugee Day 2023

Date
Each year on 20 June, the world celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.

The 2023 theme of World Refugee Day is “hope away from home.”
Location
Global
Public event
Two girls sitting at a desk in a classroom. On the left, a text reads "Hope away from home".

What is the theme of World Refugee Day 2023?

This year, World Refugee Day focuses on the power of inclusion and solutions for refugees. 

Hope away from Home. A world where refugees are always included.

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.

Find out how countries around the globe celebrate World Refugee Day 2023 by reading our live blog or by selecting a country from the drop-down:

What can you do?

An icon of two hands intertwined, representing partnership

GIVE

Support the creation of scholarships for young refugees by donating to our Aiming Higher campaign.

An icon of a light bulb that lights up, representing new ideas and innovation

CREATE

Join our global art contest, which will launch on 20 June, and get a chance to design shirts that will raise funds for refugees.

An icon of a speaker, representing advocacy

ADVOCATE

Join us on social media to amplify our content on World Refugee Day. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok or Twitter.

Three Stories of Hope Away From Home || We Were Here

"We Were Here" is an original documentary series produced by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and YouTube.

In support of World Refugee Day, these videos aim to challenge stereotypes and perceptions about refugees by focussing on what unites us rather than sets us apart - our shared passions.

A collage of a Congolese man, a Syrian man and three Ukrainian women

Watch the episodes

Image from a music video; three women are looking at the camera and singing
These Ukrainian sisters are creating sounds you can’t ignore
Bethlehem, Siona, and Miriam, whose band was on the verge of stardom when war broke out in Ukraine, spend time in the studio with UK-based music producer Jax Jones.
A Congolese man looks at the camera
Meeting The Mushroom King
Bemeriki Busamwa, a refugee in Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo, shares his passion for teaching communities how to grow their own food with Welsh vegan chef Gaz Oakley.
A Syrian man and a UNHCR staff member work together to build a toy
This Syrian toymaker builds the most beautiful contraptions
Mohamed, a Syrian refugee and toymaker, welcomes Swedish inventor Simore Giertz into his workshop in Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan.

World Refugee Day shines a light on the rights, needs and dreams of refugees, helping to mobilize political will and resources so refugees can not only survive but also thrive. 

History and purpose of World Refugee Day

World Refugee Day shines a light on the rights, needs and dreams of refugees, helping to mobilize political will and resources so refugees can not only survive but also thrive. 

Learn more about the purpose of World Refugee Day