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FOR OVER 110 YEARS, ADVANCING THE RIGHTS AND LIVES OF REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS
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Syrian Children resettled in Des Moines, Iowa
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Dear Friends,
Every year on June 20, we celebrate World Refugee Day, a day to honor those who have been forcibly displaced.
This year, the focus is on how refugees can find “Hope Away from Home.” This means looking for ways to ensure refugees are included in their new communities and have opportunities to thrive. This is especially important for refugee children, who need a safe and stable environment to heal and grow.
UNICEF recently reported that an unprecedented 43.3 million children were forcibly displaced by the end of 2022, 17.5 million of whom were refugee and asylum-seeking children. This does not even include those displaced in 2023. These children have been torn from their homes, often separated from family, and find themselves in places where the culture, language, and education system are unfamiliar.
It is important to emphasize that displaced children are, first and foremost, children. Regardless of where they came from, what country they sought safety in, or how they got there, displaced children have the same rights as all children, including the right to live free from violence, exploitation, and abuse, and have the right to an education.
Education is a powerful tool that provides children not only with knowledge and skills, but also with stability, safe spaces, opportunities, and empowerment. However, displaced children often lose access to education, and once access is lost, it is difficult to reclaim. Because of this, around half of all school-age refugee children are not in school.
For many families, fears for their children’s lives and futures are what forced them to make the difficult decision to leave their homes in search of opportunities. These children deserve the chance to thrive and build a future for themselves.
While never easy, the transition to a new country can be made easier through the support of members of their new communities. This means ensuring children resettling in the U.S. have access to English classes, educational opportunities, cultural activities, and places where they can play and learn alongside their peers. In such difficult circumstances it is possible to lose hope, but these resources can help refugee children find hope away from home.
Today, we ask you to support displaced children globally with a gift to USCRI so we can continue to provide them with access to vital services. Together, we can support those fleeing hardship and persecution and champion their right to seek safety and build a future full of opportunity.
Thank you for all your support of refugee children and their families. You give us all hope.
With gratitude,
Eskinder Negash
President and CEO
USCRI
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Read our report on Hope Away from Home for Refugee Children.
Without children, we have no future. Without hope, there is no home. This World Refugee Day, let us work towards sustainable peace through welcome and inclusion.
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USCRI, founded in 1911, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit international organization committed to working on behalf of refugees and immigrants and their transition to a dignified life.
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