2015-06-20 10:18:00

World Refugee Day: Some borders close as refugee numbers rise


(Vatican Radio) Each year on June 20, the United Nations marks World Refugee Day “to draw the public’s attention to the millions of refugees and internally displaced persons worldwide who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, conflict and persecution.”

In a report released earlier this week, the UN Refugee Agency said there are more refugees and internally displaced persons today than at any point since the Second World War.

“Almost 60 million (people) have been displaced by conflict and persecution,” said Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “Nearly 20 million of them are refugees, and more than half are children. Their numbers are growing and accelerating, every single day, on every continent. In 2014, an average of 42,500 people became refugees, asylum-seekers or internally displaced persons, every single day – that is four times more than just 4 years ago.”

“Yet, even as this tragedy unfolds, some of the countries most able to help are shutting their gates to people seeking asylum,” he said. ”Borders are closing, pushbacks are increasing, and hostility is rising. Avenues for legitimate escape are fading away. And humanitarian organizations like mine run on shoestring budgets, unable to meet the spiraling needs of such a massive population of victims.”

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