About World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day is marked on 20 June to honour people who have been forced to leave their own country because of war or persecution. The UN General Assembly set the date in December 2000 and it was first held in 2001, the 50th anniversary of the Refugee Convention. India hosts several refugee groups but has no refugee law of its own. In 2027 it falls on Sunday, 20 June 2027.
What is World Refugee Day and when is it?
World Refugee Day is 20 June. It is a United Nations day for people who have been forced to flee their country because of war, violence or persecution. In 2027 it falls on Sunday, 20 June 2027.
The UN General Assembly adopted resolution 55/76 on 4 December 2000 and fixed 20 June from 2001 onwards. Two things decided the date. The year 2001 was the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and 20 June was already Africa Refugee Day, marked by members of the Organisation of African Unity, which agreed to share it.
The scale is worth stating plainly. By mid-2025 the UN counted 117.3 million people around the world as forcibly displaced. Most of them are not in rich countries. Most are either still inside their own country or in a neighbouring one.
Who counts as a refugee, and how is that different from a migrant?
A refugee is someone who has crossed an international border and cannot go home safely because of war or a well-founded fear of persecution. A migrant is a broader word for anyone who moves, usually for work, study, marriage or family. An asylum seeker is a person who has asked for refugee status and is waiting for a decision.
The difference matters legally. Under international law a refugee should not be sent back to a country where they face danger. A migrant worker has other rights, but not that one. Mixing up the words in a post or a card is the most common mistake people make on 20 June.
- Refugee
- Someone outside their own country who cannot return safely because of war or persecution.
- Asylum seeker
- Someone who has applied for refugee status and is waiting for a decision.
- Internally displaced person
- Someone forced from home who is still inside their own country, so the refugee rules do not apply to them.
- Stateless person
- Someone no country recognises as a citizen, so they may have no passport, no voting right and limited access to school or a bank account.
- Non-refoulement
- The rule that a person should not be returned to a country where their life or freedom would be at risk.
How does India treat refugees?
India has taken in large refugee populations for decades, but it has never signed the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, and it has no national refugee law. People who arrive are handled under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and by executive decisions, which is why different groups are treated very differently.
The government itself looks after Tibetans and Sri Lankan Tamils. The UN refugee agency, which has been allowed to work from New Delhi since 1981, registers people from countries where it is the one doing the work, mainly Afghanistan and Myanmar.
| Group | Since | Who looks after them |
|---|---|---|
| Tibetans | 1959 | Government of India, with the Tibetan administration at Dharamshala. Over 35 settlements, including Bylakuppe and Mundgod in Karnataka. The 2011 Census counted 83,799 Tibetans in India. They hold Identity Certificates rather than passports, and a 2017 Delhi High Court ruling let those born in India between 1950 and 1987 claim citizenship. |
| Sri Lankan Tamils | 1983 onwards, in waves | Tamil Nadu government. The state now runs 103 camps it calls rehabilitation camps, with schooling, LPG subsidies and a large housing scheme. |
| Chakmas and Hajongs | 1960s | Settled mainly in Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura; their citizenship claims have gone through the Supreme Court. |
| Afghans | 1980s onwards, again after 2021 | Registered by the UN refugee agency in Delhi; hold refugee cards rather than Indian papers. |
| Rohingya from Myanmar | 2012 onwards | Mostly registered by the UN refugee agency; their legal position in India is contested and unsettled. |
The oldest displacement in modern India is rarely counted at all. Partition in 1947 uprooted millions of people across Punjab and Bengal. Families in Delhi, Kolkata, Amritsar and Jammu still describe grandparents as refugees, and the memory shapes how many Indians talk about the word.
How to mark World Refugee Day without making it about yourself
Small, concrete help beats awareness posts. Refugee families in Indian cities run into the same walls again and again: no Aadhaar, so no bank account or SIM; school admission refused without documents; landlords who want a local guarantor; qualifications from home that nobody recognises.
- Buy from refugee-run kitchens, bakeries and tailoring units. Local support organisations can tell you which ones are running in your city.
- Offer an hour a week of English or Hindi conversation practice at a community centre.
- If you are a lawyer, a doctor or an HR manager, one afternoon of your actual skill is worth more than a donation.
- If you employ someone, learn what documents a refugee card holder can and cannot produce before you reject the file.
Do
- Use people's names and professions, not just "refugee".
- Ask before sharing photographs. A picture online can put relatives back home in danger.
- Talk about what someone is doing now, not only what they fled.
Avoid
- Don't wish anyone a happy World Refugee Day.
- Don't ask a person to describe their escape so your event has an emotional high point.
- Don't post a child's face, school name or camp location.
Thinking of your team on World Refugee Day. The school admissions you pushed through last year changed those families' lives. Tell me where you need hands this month.
Just saying hello today, not for any big reason. Dinner at ours on Sunday? Bring the kids.
To everyone who taught, translated or sat in a government queue with a family this year: thank you. The unglamorous part is the part that works.
Today is World Refugee Day. India hosts Tibetan, Sri Lankan Tamil, Afghan and Rohingya families without a refugee law of its own. If you want to help, our volunteering desk has three verified options.
To the teachers who admitted children without the right papers and found a way: you are the reason a generation will not lose its schooling.
Related days on the site: International Migrants Day on 18 December, Human Rights Day on 10 December, and World Humanitarian Day on 19 August.
How to wish someone on World Refugee Day
This is not a greetings day, and there is no reason to wish anyone a happy World Refugee Day. Messages work best when they go to people who run shelters, schools, legal aid clinics or language classes, or to a friend who arrived here as a refugee and would rather be seen as a neighbour than as a case. Say something practical. Do not ask people to retell what they escaped.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is World Refugee Day in 2026 and 2027?
World Refugee Day is on 20 Jun every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is World Refugee Day in 2027?
World Refugee Day 2027 falls on Sunday, 20 June 2027.
Why is World Refugee Day on 20 June?
The UN General Assembly chose 20 June in resolution 55/76 of 4 December 2000, to start in 2001, the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. The date matched Africa Refugee Day, already observed by the Organisation of African Unity, which agreed to share it.
Has India signed the 1951 Refugee Convention?
No. India is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol and has no national refugee law. Refugees are dealt with under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and through case-by-case government decisions, so different groups get very different treatment.
Which refugee groups live in India?
The largest long-staying groups are Tibetans, who began arriving in 1959, and Sri Lankan Tamils, who live in camps run by the Tamil Nadu government. India also hosts Chakmas from the former East Pakistan, Afghans, Rohingya from Myanmar, and smaller numbers from African countries.
What is the difference between a refugee and a migrant?
A refugee has crossed a border and cannot return home safely because of war or persecution, and under international law should not be sent back. A migrant is anyone who moves country, usually for work, study or family, and can normally return home.
What should you say on World Refugee Day?
Not "happy World Refugee Day". Better messages thank the people who run shelters, schools and legal aid, or simply treat a friend who arrived as a refugee like any other friend. If you want to help, offer a specific skill or an hour of your time rather than a post.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .