On World Refugee Day on 20 June, Caritas Internationalis joins the global call to renew protection for the millions of people forced to flee their homes, as the world commemorates the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.

Adopted in the wake of two devastating world wars, the Convention arose from the determination never again to abandon those fleeing the persecution and violence.

Seventy-five years later, its relevance has never been more evident. According to the UN Refugee Organization (UNHCR), at the end of 2025 there were 117.8 million forcibly displaced people around the world, which is approximately one in every seventy people on the planet.

The United Nations motto for this year, “Until every person is safe,” reminds us that security is not a privilege reserved for a few, but a fundamental right: the right to life and a dignified life. As long as people are forced to flee conflict, climate change or persecution, our shared responsibility will continue.

A founding promise under threat

The 1951 Convention conveys a universal message: a person forced to seek refuge beyond their borders does not lose their rights or dignity. It states that refugees must be able to live in security, access education, work, participate in community life and look to the future with hope.

These foundations are coming under increasing pressure. In recent years, States have witnessed a worrying trend towards border closures, deterrence policies and outsourcing of asylum methods. In many contexts, the principle of non-refoulement – ​​the fundamental guarantee that no one should be returned to a situation of danger – is being eroded, leaving people already in vulnerable situations at even greater risk.

Crises caused by displacement and the strength of those who flee

The current displacement crisis is shaped by a series of serious and protracted emergencies. Official figures reveal that about seven in ten refugees come from just a handful of countries: Venezuela, the occupied Palestinian territories, Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan and South Sudan.

Sudan also remains the largest internal displacement crisis in the world, with more than nine million people uprooted within the country. Added to this is now the rapidly worsening displacement situation in Lebanon and Iran, where the recent escalation of violence has forced more than a million people to flee their homes.

Caritas member organizations are present in many of these contexts, working alongside churches and local communities to offer shelter, food, protection and a caring presence to people who have lost everything.

Refugees are too often spoken of only as victims. However, their journeys are also journeys of resilience, ingenuity and hope.

On the occasion of World Refugee Day, Víctor Genina, head of Comprehensive Human Development at Caritas Internationalis, declared:

Each displaced person carries with them a story of loss, but also of extraordinary resilience. Our faith calls us to see them not as a burden, but as a brother or sister. Let us remember that even Jesus began his life as a refugee in Egypt.
Solidarity is not charity from a distance; It is the recognition that none of us is safe, until all of us are. We call on governments to respect the letter and spirit of the Refugee Convention.

Caritas Internationalis Call to Action

On the occasion of World Refugee Day, Caritas Internationalis calls on:
• States to respect their obligations under the 1951 Convention and translate them into concrete protection policies, not of deterrence;
• to the international community to ensure adequate and predictable funding for humanitarian operations to support displaced people and their host communities;
• to religious communities and civil society to continue building bridges of welcome, inclusion, dignity and hope, promoting societies in which refugees can rebuild their lives safely and contribute to their host communities.

«Solidarity is the concrete recognition that "The destiny of each one is linked to the destiny of all." —Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas (paragraph 73)

As long as there are people forced to flee, our collective responsibility will continue. It is in solidarity, hope and recognition of our shared humanity that we continue to defend the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, especially on its 75th anniversary.

Susan Dabbous, Caritas Internationalis Press Office