World Refugee Day: A celebration of humanity

Every year, millions of people are forced to flee their homes in search of safety. Refugee Week in Australia is always held from Sunday to Saturday in the week which includes 20 June, which is World Refugee Day. In 2023, it will be held from Sunday, 18 June, to Saturday, 24 June. The first Refugee Week events were organised in Sydney in 1986 by Austcare. In 1987, the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) became a co-organiser of the week, and the occasion became a national event the following year. RCOA took on responsibility for the national coordination of Refugee Week in 2004.

Assyrian refugees in Ankawa in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. Credit: AINA.jpg