Celebrated annually on June 20, World Refugee Day highlights the perseverance and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home countries to escape conflict, violence or persecution. It is an opportunity to foster greater understanding and empathy for their plight and to showcase their resilience as they start a new life. The theme of this year’s event is the right to seek asylum. A theme that evokes a fundamental consecration of a right relating to the condition of a person in need of legal protection.
In Benin, the official celebration of this edition took place on Tuesday 21 June at the Chant d’oiseau in Cotonou. It brought together several hundred refugees who are staying in the country. “To date, 1778 refugees and 586 asylum seekers are living in Benin under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Government of Benin. These refugees and asylum seekers enjoy the legendary hospitality that characterises our country,” said Alassane Seydou, Minister of the Interior and Public Security of Benin.
It was also an opportunity to welcome back the refugees from Ivory Coast whose stay in Benin will end on 30 June. “The international community in conjunction with UNHCR and Ivory Coast has decided to end the status of Ivory Coast refugees because there is now peace and security in Ivory Coast. I would like to thank all the Ivory Coast refugees present in Benin for their contribution to the development of our country during their stay,” the minister said.
Statistics in the world
According to the UN report published last Thursday, nearly 100 million people have been forced to flee their region or country by the end of 2021. This is an unprecedented figure that represents so many tragedies for the people who suffer these forced displacements.
The war in Ukraine, as well as other emergencies such as those in Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have contributed to this alarming figure. “If the world fails to address the severe food crisis caused by Russia, the record of 100 million uprooted people will grow by many more,” warned Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
In view of this situation, Benin reaffirms its commitment to the reception, protection and integration of refugees. “I would also like to reassure all refugees living in Benin of the availability of all actors in the chain of protection of their rights, to provide them with the necessary assistance.
Bags of rice, soap, vegetable oil and other foodstuffs were distributed to these vulnerable people who were forced to flee their homes. The event was attended by several partners such as the Permanent Secretariat of the National Commission for Refugees, the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Benin, the International Organization of DIRECT-AID, Amnesty International-Benin and many others.
