World Refugee Day June 20th

Event on Ingólfstorg Sunday June 20th from 1pm to 3pm

Home is the theme of this year’s World Refugee Day on June 20 in recognition of the more than 40 million men, women and children who have been uprooted from their homes because of armed conflict, violence or other conditions.

Since 1956 the Icelandic government has invited 512 refugees to settle in the country in cooperation with UNHCR, the Icelandic Red Cross, and municipalities in the country. The first group of refugees came from Hungary but since then refugees from Yugoslavia, Vietnam, Poland, Kosovo, Colombia and Iraq have also been invited to settle in Iceland. In the period between 1990 and 2009 approximately 715 people applied for asylum in Iceland after having fled from their home countries. This includes 35 people who came last year. At any given time a number of refugees are waiting for a decision by Icelandic authorities on whether they will be allowed to stay in the country. This is often a very lengthy and difficult process for asylum seekers. This year, for World Refugee Day, events are being planned around the world to highlight the plight of refugees under the care of the UNHCR and to advocate on their behalf. Here in Iceland we want to call public attention to the plight of refugees, but also to the human wealth that they bring to the country. People tend to view refugees only as victims in need of help, and often forget that they enrich Icelandic culture and participate in building a better society.

On June 20, 2010 the Icelandic Red Cross and the Iceland Human Rights Centre celebrate the World Refugee Day on Ingólfstorg in central Reykjavík. The event is organized in cooperation with Reykjavík municipality and the UNHCR. Celebrations will take place between 13:00 and 15:00 with a variety of activities and events. There will be dance and song performances and visitors have the opportunity to try food from the countries where most of the refugees in Iceland come from. There will be various kinds of recreation for the children and free coffee for visitors at Kaffi París. In Ingólfstorg visitors will be able to find information about the plight of refugees. Visitors will be invited to participate in the online game Against All Odds and experience how it is to play the role of a refugee.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Senda grein