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World Refugee Day
Manila Bulletin, June 20, 2010
As an occasion devoted to lifting the consciousness and state of affairs of refugees all over the world, World Refugee Day is celebrated on June 20 each year. The 2010 theme "They Have Taken My Home but They Cannot Take My Future," celebrates the strength and bravery of refugees who continue to hope for a safe place that they can call their home.
The problem of forced displacement has been one of the most pressing issues facing the United Nations. Major geopolitical transitions have caused large refugee migrations but the development of the nation state and fixed borders in the 19th century caused some nations to shun refugees and turn them into international intruders.
Refugees have been a constant and accepted part of human migration for centuries. There are an estimated 40 million people worldwide who have left their homes and communities due to various reasons. In the past, groups of people facing religious or racial persecution would often move to a more tolerant region. Today, political persecution is a major cause of out-migration of refugees.
The end of the Cold War and the end of regimes that kept social order led to the dissolution of countries and changes in politics led to persecution and a huge increase in the number of refugees. There is also a category of displaced people who are not officially refugees because they have not left their own country but have been displaced within their own country. The refugee problem is a serious one; there are many people worldwide who need so much help and there are just not enough resources to help all of them, especially if the host countries are struggling themselves.
When a refugee flees from a less developed country to a developed one, the refugees can legally remain in the developed country until the situation in their home country has become stable. These refugees often prefer to remain in the developed country since their economic condition is often much better. Unfortunately, these refugees often have to remain illegally in the host country or are forced to return to their home country..
Life is never easy to these refugees who only need a safe haven where they can recover from the mental and physical trauma and rebuild their hopes for a better future. The best we can do is give them our support.
Read original text here: World Refugee Day | Manila Bulletin
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