Syrian refugees numbering in the millions fled civil war in their country in the early 2000′s. Many were housed in refugee camps like this camp in Sanliurfa, Turkey.
Credit: © Orlok/Shutterstock

Today, June 20, is World Refugee Day. The United Nations designated the day to honor refugees from around the world. A refugee is a person forced to flee from his or her country and find safety elsewhere. Many refugees seek to escape persecution based on religion, nationality, membership in a social group, or political beliefs. Some flee from war, famine, or other dangers. Many refugees give up everything—home, possessions, and family and friends—to pursue an uncertain future in a foreign land.

The term refugee comes from the French word refugie, which was used to describe Protestant Huguenots who fled France in 1685 because of Roman Catholic persecution. The term displaced person, or DP, is sometimes used interchangeably with refugee.

The flow of refugees from one country to another can present major international challenges. Countries that receive refugees—often called host countries—may have difficulty providing shelter, food, sanitation, and medical treatment for large numbers of people in need. Since 1951, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has helped millions of refugees throughout the world. The UNHCR estimates there were nearly 89.3 million refugees, internally displaced people, and asylum seekers at the end of 2021. This number has increased in 2022 as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as the ongoing crises in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria. The Rohingya are a people of Myanmar who are not recognized as legal residents and are forced to flee the country for safety and rights.

Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar await rescue after being stranded off the coast of Indonesia. The government of Myanmar limited the rights of its Rohingya population in the 2010′s, leading an increasing number to attempt to flee the country. Myanmar’s government considered them illegal immigrants, although many Rohingya families had lived in the country for decades.
Credit: AP Photo

Under international law, governments in host countries must respect the basic human rights of refugees. Refugees, in turn, are expected to respect the laws and regulations of host countries. The shelter and protection that host countries provide to refugees is called asylum. In host countries, refugees generally have freedom of movement, freedom of religion, and the ability to pursue education and work. However, some refugees have no choice but to stay in crowded refugee camps. Refoulement—that is, the forcible return of refugees to countries where they face persecution—is a violation of international law.

Refugees often face many obstacles and hardships on their journeys. Salva Dut escaped from South Sudan on foot and faced many years in refugee camps before being welcomed in the United States. He works to bring clean water to his home country. Many refugees try to help the community they left in order to make the lives of others safer and healthier.

Many communities plan activities and events on World Refugee Day to support refugees and welcome them. Look up if your community is hosting an event or read about how you can help refugees in your neighborhood.

April 29, 2019

Earlier this month, two long-ruling leaders lost power in northern Africa. In Algeria, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was forced to resign after 20 years in office. In Sudan, President Umar (Omar) al-Bashir was toppled from power 30 years after seizing control in a military coup d’état (forced government takeover). While Bouteflika and al-Bashir were technically democratically elected presidents, their rules more closely resembled dictatorships. Their grips on power had allowed Algeria and Sudan to avoid the political and social changes in nearby countries brought on by the Arab Spring of 2010 and 2011.

On April 2, 2019, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned after 20 years in power. Credit: © Eric Feferberg, AFP/Getty Images

Bouteflika, a former military officer, has a long history in Algerian politics. He fought in the Algerian War (1954-1962) for independence, entered government service in 1962, and participated in a coup d’état in 1965. In 1981, Bouteflika was accused of corruption and left Algeria. He returned to the country in 1987, after the government dropped the charges.

In 1999, the military supported Bouteflika as a presidential candidate. He became president in an election marred by charges of vote fraud. In 2004, he was reelected as president against little opposition. During his second term, Bouteflika forced a constitutional amendment that removed a two-term limit on presidents. He was then reelected president in 2009. In 2014, he was reelected with little opposition, despite having suffered a stroke that impaired his mobility and speech. A constitutional change in 2016 reinstated a two-term presidential limit—but it did not apply to Bouteflika. The president was rarely seen during his fourth term, spending much time in France receiving medical attention.

In February 2019, protests erupted in Algeria after the ailing Bouteflika announced his intention to run for a fifth term in office. In March, he decided against running for president, but protests against his administration continued. On April 2, Bouteflika bowed to pressure and resigned as president. He was temporarily replaced by the chairman of the upper house of parliament, Abdelkader Bensalah—a longtime Bouteflika ally. Protests then continued against Le Pouvoir (The Power, or “the establishment”). A presidential election in Algeria is scheduled for July 4.

On April 11, 2019, Sudanese President Umar (Omar) al-Bashir was forced from office and arrested after 30 years in power. Credit: © Ashraf Shazly, AFP/Getty Images

In Sudan, al-Bashir led a group of military officers that overthrew the existing government in 1989. Al-Bashir dissolved the nation’s legislature and replaced it with a military council. He suspended the constitution and banned all political parties. In 1993, the military council appointed al-Bashir president. He was then formally elected in 1996. Political parties were legalized in 1998, but only al-Bashir’s party participated in the 2000 presidential election, which he won easily. Since then, opposition parties have continued to exist, but their leaders have often been harassed or arrested and detained.

In 2003 and 2004, the Sudanese government put down a rebellion in the western region of Darfur. Some 300,000 people died in the violence, and more than 2 million others were forced into camps. There was no presidential election in 2005, but al-Bashir remained in power. In 2009, the International Criminal Court (ICC) ordered the arrest of al-Bashir for his role in the Darfur violence. The court charged him with war crimes and crimes against humanity. Despite the charges, al-Bashir won an election tainted by charges of vote fraud in 2010. Later that year, the ICC also charged al-Bashir with genocide, but he was not arrested. In 2015, al-Bashir was reelected president with 94 percent of the vote—his standard margin of victory.

In late 2018, widespread protests erupted in Sudan over the rising cost of living and a struggling economy. In January 2019, the protests focused on ending al-Bashir’s long, autocratic, and often harsh rule. In February, the president declared a state of emergency that tightened his personal power and greatly limited the freedoms of the Sudanese people. On April 11, military leaders removed al-Bashir from office and arrested him. They dissolved the government and suspended the constitution. They also announced that a military council would govern the country for the next two years, after which elections would be held. Protesters at first expressed support for the removal of al-Bashir. However, protests resumed when it became clear that a civilian government would not be immediately formed.

January 4, 2016

Today, Bahrain and Sudan joined Saudi Arabia in breaking off diplomatic ties with Iran, and the United Arab Emirates downgraded its relations with Iran. Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran on Sunday after an angry mob stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran, the Iranian capital. The spark behind this latest row between long-time rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran was the execution of Shī`ite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr on terrorism charges in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The people of Saudi Arabia are predominantly Sunni Muslims, and Shī`ite Muslims around the world condemned the cleric’s execution as motivated purely by sectarianism (prejudice in favor of one’s own sect).

Middle East Map. Credit: WORLD BOOK map

Differences between Shī`ite and Sunni Muslims have resulted in violence in the Middle East for centuries. Iran is the largest—but also one of the few—Shī`ite-dominated countries. As such, it is often at odds with the Sunni-controlled countries that make up the majority of the Muslim world. Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 for playing a central part in protests against the Saudi government. However, he claimed never to have advocated violence or terrorism. Saturday’s execution in Saudi Arabia also included 3 other Saudi Shī`ites, as well as 43 Sunnis accused of working with Al-Qa`ida.

Other World Book articles: 

•  Islam (2009) – A Back in Time article
• Middle East (2012) – A Back in Time article
• Saudi Arabia (2012) – A Back in Time article