One in every 70 people in the world is forcibly displaced. Although the headlines in the media often concern the arrival of refugees in better-off parts of the planet, the reality tells us otherwise: almost 70 percent of forcibly displaced people have found refuge in low- and middle-income countries in the Global South, while 65 percent remain in neighboring countries.
These latest data, published on the eve of June 20, World Refugee Day, are both a reminder and an invitation to reflect. Every year, this day is an occasion to recognize the strength and achievements of refugees, while recognizing the hardships they have gone through and the challenges they continue to face.
This year carries with it a special weight - it also marks the 75th anniversary of the Convention on the Status of Refugees from 1951 and the 65th anniversary of the Convention on the Reduction of the Number of Stateless Persons. Also, on this year's World Refugee Day, the UN refugee agency in Serbia is counting 50 years of dedicated work in favor of people who were forced to leave their homes.
The anniversaries I mentioned come at a time of great world challenges. Forced displacement is at near record levels. Conflicts are lasting longer, new crises are constantly breaking out, and permanent solutions are often out of reach. According to a UNHCR report last week, 117,8 million people around the world have been forcibly displaced. Many of them are in long-term exile, where uncertainty shapes their lives for years, even decades.
All too often, such realities are reduced to the term "migrant crisis". However, behind those words are people forced to flee war, violence, persecution or severe violations of human rights.
At the same time, the right to seek asylum is facing increasing pressure in many parts of the world. Policies and narratives emerge that make it difficult for people to reach safety. Humanitarian needs are increasing, while resources are decreasing, which puts an additional burden on host countries, local communities, and humanitarian actors.
It is in this context that the promise of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees becomes more important than ever. Adopted after the Second World War, the Convention established a simple but powerful principle and legal obligation: anyone forced to flee war and persecution has the right to seek safety and should have the opportunity to either return home if the situation changes significantly, or to rebuild a life elsewhere.
This obligation of states has saved tens of millions of lives and is as important today as it was 75 years ago. The growing number of displaced people only further confirms its importance.
UNHCR's mandate is to protect the principles of both mentioned conventions, until everyone is safe and protected. It is not just an expression of solidarity, but a legal obligation and a call to action.
For millions of refugees around the world, the right to asylum is a lifeline. It is the difference between fear and protection, between despair and hope, and sometimes between life and death. However, that right is not reserved for a few - it belongs to all of us. None of us can say with certainty that we or our loved ones will never need it. The promise made 75 years ago was never meant to be exclusive, but a guarantee for everyone, wherever they are.
World Refugee Day is also an opportunity to question misconceptions. Refugees are not defined solely by displacement – it is only one chapter of their lives. They are people, like everyone else, with skills, talents and ambitions.
When given the opportunity, they contribute significantly to the communities that accept them – as workers, teachers, doctors, artists, leaders and neighbors. They strengthen economies, enrich cultures and contribute to building more inclusive and resilient societies.
Serbia offers numerous such examples: an Iraqi engineer who teaches Arabic in Novi Sad, an Afghan entrepreneur who supports others as a translator, a Ukrainian doctor who works in Vranje. There is also Reza, a recent graduate of the Faculty of Applied Arts, Natalija, a doctor and naive artist, as well as Remi, a visual artist, whose works you can see these days in the Belgrade Museum of Applied Arts.
Since the establishment of the office in the then capital of SFRY in 1976, UNHCR has been working closely with national institutions, partners, forcibly displaced persons and persons at risk of statelessness.
Over the course of five decades, our role has developed in accordance with changes in global reality: from supporting those who fled Eastern Europe in the seventies and eighties, to responding to conflicts in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, when hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced people found protection and permanent solutions, and, more recently, to supporting refugees coming from Asia, Africa and Europe and who are granted international protection.
For more than two decades, UNHCR has been closely cooperating with national authorities and partners in providing support to the most vulnerable in society - people at risk of statelessness - to confirm their citizenship, obtain personal documents and become "legally visible", thereby gaining the opportunity to exercise their rights like other citizens.
Conventions are more than legal instruments that define the obligations of states – they are an expression of our common humanity. They not only determine the framework of protection, reduction and prevention of statelessness, but also access to basic rights: education, health care, employment and the opportunity to build a life with dignity and with legal recognition.
They also embody the principle of shared responsibility and offer practical solutions to the contemporary challenges of displacement.
Their strength lies both in international law and in solidarity - between states, with host communities, but also in the realization that protecting refugees and eradicating statelessness benefits everyone. Today, however, that common obligation is being called into question more and more often.
So what does it mean to act until everyone is safe and protected?
This means preserving access to asylum and promoting policies based on dignity, fairness and humanity. This means supporting host countries like Serbia and their communities, which continue to show solidarity despite their own challenges.
This means solving existing cases of statelessness, preventing new ones and strengthening the system for identification and protection of stateless persons. This means investing in solutions that enable refugees to move from mere survival to independence, inclusion and stability. This means rejecting fear and misinformation, in favor of facts and empathy.
And that means continuing to work and be present despite the inevitable challenges and setbacks. One of these challenges is the growing gap between humanitarian needs and available resources.
UNHCR, like many humanitarian organizations, faces a serious lack of financial resources. Its budget today is comparable to that of 2015, although the number of forcibly displaced people has almost doubled. UNHCR's funding in 99 percent of cases comes from voluntary contributions from donors, including states, private companies, foundations and individuals. Every contribution is important.
The consequences are tangible. Basic services – health care, housing, food aid, access to clean water and protection of the most vulnerable, such as children and survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking – have been reduced or in some cases suspended.
UNHCR continues to adapt by improving efficiency, using technology and strengthening partnerships. Today, almost 90 percent of our employees are engaged in the field, in 128 countries. However, without sufficient resources, even the most efficient systems cannot respond to growing needs.
The impact is visible around the world. In Egypt, the funding crisis has already left tens of thousands of families - especially those who fled the war in Sudan - barely surviving. The conflict in Sudan, now in its fourth year, has become the world's largest displacement crisis, but it receives limited public attention. Egypt, as the largest host country, also records the largest number of new asylum requests in the world.
People continue to come to Serbia and throughout the Western Balkans from countries affected by conflicts, such as Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, as well as Sudan. Although the number of officially registered arrivals varies, many remain outside the formal systems, increasing their vulnerability.
Funding constraints translate into daily challenges. Reduced direct contact with humanitarian organizations makes it difficult for refugees to access reliable information and navigate complex systems. Even when there are integration and support programs, the limited assistance of interpreters makes it difficult to realize rights such as access to health care, education, employment and social services.
Support in the early stages is especially important for asylum seekers, in order to enable a faster path to independence.
These challenges can lead to isolation and slow down integration. They are significant, but not insurmountable. With continued support and cooperation, they can be overcome, thereby strengthening inclusion and enabling refugees to rebuild their lives.
Although humanitarian aid saves lives, it alone cannot restore refugees' ability to shape their future. A shift towards empowerment is needed. The UNHCR High Commissioner recently set a clear goal: to halve the number of refugees in long-term displacement in the next decade.
Achieving this goal requires expanding access to solutions, including voluntary return where possible, as well as safe and legal pathways, and investing in self-reliance, with renewed commitment from governments, partners, the private sector and civil society.
Now is the time to renew our commitment to solidarity. The right to seek security was created precisely for such moments.
Being a refugee is not an identity - it is a circumstance. It's a chapter, not a whole story.
The citizens of Serbia understand that very well. That is why I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks for the solidarity and generosity shown by communities throughout Serbia in accepting and supporting refugees.
Based on decades of personal experience, as well as the experience of colleagues around the world, I can say with certainty: refugees are not only people who need support - they are also a source of inspiration. Their courage, tenacity and determination remind us of our common humanity.
And it is up to all of us to defend the principles that protect it.
The author is the head of the Representative Office of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Serbia
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