World Refugee Day is celebrated each year on June 20th, to commemorate the anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which established specific criteria for what a refugee is and is not, as well as the rights and responsibilities of those seeking asylum, and of the nations providing that asylum.
It is a day to not only highlight, empathize, and express solidarity with the plight of refugees around the world, but also to acknowledge their incredible contributions. In welcoming refugees, and providing a fresh start for them to live and thrive in safety, our communities are greatly enriched. We benefit from their talents, wisdom, resilience, and different cultural perspectives. Refugees are all around us, making huge contributions in all parts of our society.
According to the most recent available figures, there are about 26 million refugees around the world today – people who have been forced to flee their home countries due to persecution, war, and/or violence. That number does not include the more than 41 million people who are displaced internally within their own countries.
In our community, Lutheran Services Carolinas is the primary Voluntary Resettlement Agency assisting refugees. They are a warm welcome and support for asylum seekers, helping them transition and become acclimated to life in the United States by providing assistance navigating our systems of housing, healthcare, employment, and school, as well as understanding our language and the particular quirks of American culture – all the things newly-arrived refugees need to learn in order to become self-sufficient.
Some Facts about Refugees
1 in every 108 people globally is either an asylum-seeker, internally displaced, or a refugee
52% of the global refugee population is less than 18 years old (as of 2018)
Refugees worldwide travel 1 Billion miles each year to reach safety
Refugees do not get to choose the country in which they would like to live
67% of all refugees worldwide come from just five countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Somalia
To be recognized as a refugee and receive assistance, all asylum seekers must demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group
Once a refugee is recommended to the U.S., there is a very thorough vetting process for each applicant, which takes 1-2 years to complete. This includes three in-person interviews with the Department of Homeland Security, as well as repeated health and security screenings by 8 different federal agencies
Since 1975, we have welcomed more than 3 million refugees to U.S. communities. The U.S. government determines the maximum number of refugee admissions allowed each year
Refugee nationalities resettled in South Carolina include Afghani, Belarusian, Berundi, Bhutanese, Burmese, Congolese, Eritrean, Guatemalan, Honduran, Iraqi, Kenyan, Moldovan, Somali, Nepali, Rwandan, Salvadoran, Syrian, and Ukrainian