EVERYONE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE - EVERY ACTION COUNTS
World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.
Today, on World Refugee Day, the Centre for the Study of Global Human Movement recognises the courage and resilience of the nearly 80 million people who have been forced to flee from their homes as refugees or internally displaced people. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and with anti-racism protests spreading globally it seems an opportune time to take stock and consider how, in ways both small and large, we can contribute to making the world a more inclusive place.
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ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:
Sign this petition from Refugee Action to ask the Home Secretary to grant the right to work in the UK for people seeking Refugee Status? https://act.refugee-action.org.uk/page/30577/petition/1
Doctors of the World, with the British Medical Association, and the Royal College of Physicians have put out this letter calling for an end to NHS charging and data sharing with the Home Office. They are asking people to sign - as individuals and as organisations. Feel free to sign and share
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfckxE3uKoI3HPQQmj4qnL5EmAbY5bVzxSS4K0f3vDFdFc8tg/viewform
Support the UNHCR – their page ‘Get Involved’ to find out about volunteering, making a donation or by raising awareness. https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/get-involved.html
Donate to Plan International to help them support the most vulnerable children affected by the COVID-19 – particularly in refugee camps and displaced settings – and reduce the disease's negative social impact on families, women and girls who are disproportionately affected by the crisis.. https://plan-international.org/covid-19-pandemic-appeal
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WATCH NOW:
Watch the videos in our series on "Global Conversations - Frontlines during Covid-19."
There is an urgent need for scalable, sustainable and replicable models of job creation for refugees, and technology has the potential to provide this. Yet, this potential has not been fully realised for refugees. In this video we were joined from across the globe by frontline organisations Chams, Na’amal, Re:Coded, Refugeework.net, NaTakallam as well as refugees working with them. The panelists provided an insight into the opportunities for remote sustainable digital livelihoods for refugees. Video link here |
Listen first hand to Mr Isaac Bencomo, from San Antonio, Texas who is part of efforts aimed at delivering primary and emergency care to displaced and migrant populations in Matamoros, Tamaulipas in Mexico. He explored the situation of refugees and migrants at the US-Mexico border, particularly at the Brownville-Matamaros complex, the impact of the Migrant Protection Protocols and the contemporary health concerns of camp populations in Matamoros in light of Covid-19. As part of Global Response Management, Isaac is part of prevention, fortification and treatment measures for both the camp and its surrounding populations during Covid-19. Video link here |
We spoke with Mr Froilan Malit, a migration specialist at Gulf Labour Markets and Migration, joined us from Dubai for this virtual seminar. Froilan has worked for many years across the Gulf region with migrant workers, consulates and international organisations and has extensive experience in the protection of the rights of migrant workers. He explored with us the situation of migrant workers in the Gulf region, with a focus on coping and survival strategies of migrant workers during Covid-19 as well as the impact of Covid-19 on migration governance in the wider Gulf region. Video link here |