Senator Ngo commemorates World Refugee Day
[For immediate release] – June 23, 2021
Today, Senator Thanh Hai Ngo issued the following Statement to commemorate World Refugee Day on Sunday, June 20th, 2021:
Officially designated as an international day of commemoration in December of 2000 by the United Nations, World Refugee Day falls every year on June 20th to recognize, bring awareness to and support the struggles faced by refugees everywhere.
According to the United Nations, every minute, 20 people are forced to flee their homeland as a result of persecution, war or terror. At great risk to their lives, and often facing incredible odds with little chances of survival, they depart in the hopes of finding freedom, security, democracy and dignity elsewhere. In 2020, and despite the pandemic, 82.4 million people are estimated to have been displaced.
Much still needs to be done in order to combat this tragic phenomenon. This could include redoubling our efforts to strengthen support for local humanitarian action, enabling communities to find solutions to common challenges, and building institutions that are effective, inclusive, and accountable. Canada must continue to provide humanitarian aid, contribute to the peaceful and diplomatic resolution of international conflicts as well as promote human rights on the world stage.
I’d like to take this opportunity to commend Canada for its continued and outstanding role at the forefront of humanitarian crises around the world. Canadians are a diverse, tolerant, inclusive and welcoming people. As the only nation to have ever been awarded the coveted UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award in 1986 for its contributions to the plight of the Vietnamese boat people, we can be proud of our legacy and continue to support the incoming refugees that will undoubtedly help build our great country.
For more information, please contact:
Office of the Honourable Thanh Hai Ngo
613-943-1599
@SenatorNgo
Additional information:
United Nations – World Refugee Day 20 June
UNHCR: World leaders must act to reverse the trend of soaring displacement