Join us as we commemorate Juneteenth and World Refugee Day.

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FOR OVER 110 YEARS, ADVANCING THE RIGHTS AND LIVES OF REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS
Dear Friends,

Since the last World Refugee Day, the resettlement system has faced significant hurdles in bringing Afghans to safety following the fall of Kabul in August 2021. We watched with horror as mothers handed their babies to U.S. soldiers over barbed wire, and others were desperate to flee the Taliban rule.

Six months later, the world was struck by a new crisis, this time in Europe, when Russia invaded Ukraine, forcing millions of Ukrainians to flee to other countries in Europe and as far away as Mexico and the U.S. But the refugee crisis extends well beyond the borders of Afghanistan and Ukraine. According to a recent report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are now over 100 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, including asylum seekers from countries like Syria, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Haiti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the highest number of displaced people in human history. In 2022, the UN reports that there are 26.6 million refugees, 50.9 million internally displaced people and 4.4 million asylum-seekers.

Yet despite the risk of drowning at sea, despite the risk of kidnapping and murder, and human traffickers, refugees take that chance anyway—seeking freedom from civil war, unprovoked invasion from dictatorial regimes, ethnic cleansing, anarchy, and persecution. Refugees embody strength, perseverance, courage, and hope. Most of them would not have survived the journey otherwise.

World Refugee Day is celebrated each year on June 20th to commemorate the anniversary of the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. On this World Refugee Day, let us take a moment to reflect on the strength and courage of the millions of refugees worldwide who have been forced to flee their homes due to violence and persecution. It’s also a day of remembrance of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers who perished in search of freedom around the world and to keep their memory alive.

At USCRI, we would like to commemorate this day through our work and mission to serve vulnerable populations. We strongly believe everyone deserves the right to seek asylum, and all asylum seekers and refugees should be treated fairly, with dignity, and with equal value. On this occasion, we reject the double standard in the response to global migration, which is unconscionable and exposes the deep racism that is embedded in the international system’s refugee reaction.

Every day I am inspired by the families and individuals we serve. They show remarkable resilience to rebuild their lives here, for themselves, and future generations.

In addition to World Refugee Day, June 20th is the official day of observance for Juneteenth this year, which marks the anniversary of June 19th, 1865, when the Union Army issued General Order No. 3, emancipating the last remaining enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas. Short for “June 19th,” the first Juneteenth celebrations occurred following the first anniversary in June 1866. The Biden administration designated Juneteenth as a federal holiday last year, a move that was long overdue.

While Juneteenth is a joyous occasion to celebrate the end of enslavement in America, it is also a sober reminder of how slow progress sometimes takes place. Despite President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it took more than two years for the last enslaved people to be freed.

It is an outstanding achievement, yet the work is not done – far from it. We must continue to work hard each day to combat the evils of racism, discrimination, and prejudice to achieve the world we dream of, one where every person’s rights are respected in communities of opportunity.

With these two observances, World Refugee Day and Juneteenth, I ask you to take a moment today to reflect on how we can continue to be champions of human rights in our daily lives. We should celebrate progress and look forward to creating a more just and equal society.

With warm regards,

Eskinder Negash
USCRI President and CEO


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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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