World Refugee Day and World Refugee Week 2024

World Refugee Week aims to raise awareness about the plight of refugees and to celebrate their strength, resilience, and contributions to society. Typically held in the third week of June, the event coincides with World Refugee Day on 20^th June and is a crucial opportunity for communities worldwide to come together in support of those who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, or natural disasters. The week is marked by a series of activities, including cultural events, educational programs, community gatherings, and fundraising initiatives aimed at fostering understanding and solidarity with refugees. Fundraising campaigns during the week support various humanitarian organisations that provide critical assistance to refugees, including shelter, food, education, and healthcare.

One of the primary goals of World Refugee Week is to dispel myths and misconceptions about refugees. Through storytelling, art exhibitions, film screenings, and panel discussions, the week emphasizes the human stories behind the statistics. It highlights the diverse backgrounds, talents, and aspirations of refugees, showcasing their potential to contribute positively to their host communities. World Refugee Week serves as a platform for advocacy and action, allowing organisations and activists to advocate for enhanced protection measures for refugees, better access to vital services, and increased initiatives to seek permanent solutions like resettlement and integration.

This year, World Refugee Day focuses on solidarity with refugees – for a world where refugees are welcomed (World Refugee Day 2024 | UNHCR) and the theme for Refugee Week 2024 is “Our Home”. From the places we gather to share meals to our collective home, planet earth: everyone is invited to celebrate what Our Home means to them.

To help refugees establish themselves in a new country, stable employment is essential. It's crucial to offer refugees equal opportunities in a world experiencing high rates of displacement and migration. With the skills shortage present in many industries, businesses need to recognise the value that refugees can bring to the workforce and World Refugee Day is an important time to highlight the ways that companies can get involved in building a truly sustainable and diverse workplace that will last long into the future (World Refugee Day: Why Companies Need to Act Now | The HR World).

Companies like Adecco have used their global network to set up an employment platform called Jobs for Ukraine designed to connect the thousands of Ukrainian refugees with job vacancies so that they can find a career in their new home. Any company can submit a free job vacancy advert and anyone who is a refugee from Ukraine can apply. So far, over 1,650 companies have signed up (from across more than 50 countries) and over 2,500 Ukrainian refugees have been successfully placed in work through the Jobs for Ukraine website.

Refugees can bring not only a different skillset, such as the ability to communicate in multiple languages, a highly valued skill in an increasingly global world of work, but also a new perspective. In an ever more competitive marketplace, refugees are valuable candidates that businesses should be recruiting to build a workplace of the future that works for everyone.

How to observe World Refugee Day/Week 2024:

• Donate to charities like Refugee Actionwho campaign for a fairer asylum system.
• Get involved in helping refugees in your local community and/or volunteer with the British Red Cross.
• Support young refugees to pursue higher education by donating to our Aiming Higher campaign.
• Share your support on social media with #RefugeeWeek, #SimpleActs and #OurHome
• Create your own Refugee Week event using the official Event Organiser's Pack.
• Take part in Refugee Week Simple Acts initiative, small steps in making the world a more inclusive and equal place for everyone. Buy products and gifts for others made by refugees, share a meal or swap recipes, read a book written by a refugee or watch a film about refugees' lived experiences. This year you can watch three short films challenging stereotypes about refugees – sharing stories of solidarity #WithRefugees. Refugees in Jordan, Germany, and Uganda collaborated with top YouTube Creators to share their powerful stories (World Refugee Day 2024 | UNHCR).

World Refugee Day is a great opportunity for businesses to reflect on how they can provide life-changing opportunities in the workplace and World Refugee Week is a powerful reminder of our shared humanity and a call to action to ensure that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can live in safety and dignity.

Lizzy Turek

Client Research Associate