World Refugee Day 2022: The Right of Safety for Refugees

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) mentions, "A refugee is a group of people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and crossed international borders to seek security in another country. And forced to flee, leaving loved ones behind."

Refugees are defined and protected under international law. The 1951 Refugee Convention is a crucial legal document. It defines a refugee as: "Anyone unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin because of a well-established fear of being persecuted because of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion."

The growing intolerance, imperialism and hegemony of people of different languages, nationalities, cultures, religions and ideologies are forcing millionsof people to leave their countries and seek refuge in other countries. As a result, the refugee problem is considered one of the global problems. According to a United Nations estimate, 21 people leave the country every minute to escape war, oppression, and persecution. At the same time, there is emigration due to adverse effects of gestation. These emigrants are known worldwide by various identities, such as refugees, Asylum seekers, Stateless people, internally displaced people, or forcibly displaced people.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a report that more than 100 million people had been displaced worldwide by the first week of June this year. The number of people forced to flee Ukraine due to violence, conflict, human rights violations and persecution caused by the war and other conflicts has crossed the record 100 million milestone for the first time. "This is a record that should never have been set," said FilippoGrandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. "It must act as a conscious call to end the destructive conflict, end the persecution and address the underlying causes, and force innocent people to flee their homes." The 100 million include refugees, asylum seekers, and people displaced by conflict or violence within their own country.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a report that World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees worldwide. It is celebrated on June 20 every year. The day provides strength and courage to those forced to flee their country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and recognize their struggle to rebuild their lives.

According to the United Nations, the day has been celebrated yearly since 2001 with one theme. This year, the right of refugees to seek safety has been emphasized. World Refugee Day 2022 is "Whoever. Wherever. Whenever. Everyone has the right to seek safety".

The UNHCR says everyone on the planet has a right to safety. No matter who they are, where they come from, or wherever they come from, those who have been forced flee or those who have been forced to flee should be treated with dignity. Anyone who seeks protection, regardless of who they are or what they believe, should seek their safety, which is a human right.

UNHCR also says people forced to flee should be welcomed wherever they come. Refugees come from all over the world. To save lives, they can take a plane, a boat or on foot, but what is universal is their right to seek safety. Whenever people are forced to flee, they have the right to protection. Whatever the threat - war, violence, oppression - everyone deserves protection and has the right to safety.

To seek safety, UNHCR has mentioned five issues: 1. The right to seek asylum - Anyone fleeing persecution, conflict or human rights abuses has the right to seek protection in another country; 2. Safe access - Borders should be kept open for all those who are forced to flee. Restricting access and closing borders can make travel more dangerous for people seeking security; 3. Not being forced to return home - People cannot be forced to return home if their lives or freedoms are at stake. This means that countries should not push anyone back without assessing the dangers they will face returning to their countries; 4. No discrimination - People should not be discriminated against at the border. All applications for refugee status, regardless of race, religion, gender or country of origin, must be considered equally; 5. Humanitarian treatment - people forced to flee should be treated with respect and dignity. They deserve the same safe and dignified treatment as any human being. Other things include keeping families together, protecting them from traffickers, and avoiding arbitrary detention.

It is mention-worthy that Bangladesh has provided shelter to a large refugee population as a developing and small country. Since August 25, 2017, more than 1.1 million Rohingya refugees have fled the ethnic violence in Myanmar and taken shelter as a refugee in Bangladesh. Rohingyas living in Ukhiya-Teknaf in Cox's Bazar, the largest refugee camp in the world, have been persecuted and left their ancestral homeland to become refugees in Bangladesh. The Government of Bangladesh especially the Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her generous humanity and the people of Bangladesh have stood by the Rohingya refugees with all their strengths. This is a rare example of humanity. The Government of Bangladesh has been calling for continued cooperation with the international community and various donor agencies to keep up the pressure on the Myanmar government to repatriate them to their homeland with due dignity, including their livelihood.

People are fleeing from their homeland due to ethnic riots, clashes among religious communities, hatred and violence, and fleeing from their countries in search of a shelter. Refugees are also becoming a threat to local culture as they become involved in crime due to hunger and unemployment in different countries. Although refugees have deviated from their homeland, the challenges of asylum and safety remain unsolved. So this year's World Refugee Day is very significant. The onus is on the international community to ensure that the refugees survive as human beings and ensure their safety.

UNHCR says World Refugee Day focuses on refugees' rights, needs and dreams, helping to consolidate political will and resources so that refugees can survive and prosper. While it is essential to protect and improve the lives of refugees daily, international days such as World Refugee Day help draw global attention to the plight of people fleeing conflict or persecution. Many of the activities held on World Refugee Day create opportunities to support refugees.

Every year on World Refugee Day, various events are organized in many countriesto support the refugees. In addition to refugees, the possibilities are attended by government and private officials, the host community, multinational organizations, celebrities, school children and ordinary people. All these events draw the attention of the world community to the refugees so that the world is sympathetic towards them. Emphasis is placed on their right to life as human beings, their right to basic human needs and their right to safety.

 The writer is a researcher and development worker.