World Refugee Day is marked around the globe on June 20

Press release from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) 

[Geneva – UNHCR] – For World Refugee Day 2026, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, aims to mobilize younger generations to reclaim and defend asylum as a shared global good and a cornerstone of international protection.

UNHCR’s theme for the day this year is Until Everyone is Safe.

Coming at a time when the right to seek asylum is under growing pressure in many parts of the world, it reminds people of the enduring relevance of the 1951 Refugee Convention. Adopted 75 years ago, the Convention is based on a simple but powerful, universal principle: the right to seek safety extends to us all.

“Until Everyone is Safe” speaks to younger generations driven by a desire for social justice and solidarity while also facing uncertainty and socio-economic pressures. It invites them to see asylum not as a distant, abstract issue, but as a collective safety net – one that protects the most vulnerable today and could protect any of us tomorrow.

“Seventy-five years ago, from the ashes of the Second World War, the world made a fundamental promise: anyone forced to flee war, conflict or persecution has the right to find safety and protection,” said UNHCR High Commissioner Barham Salih.

“That promise was universal and designed to endure. It was built for our grandparents, for us, and for all generations to come.”

“Today, that safety net is under immense pressure. But human rights are not negotiable. Safety should not be a privilege. No one is truly safe until the most vulnerable among us are safe. Young people remind the world of this every day,” he added.

“Until Everyone is Safe” challenges stereotypes about refugees and emphasizes that the right to seek safety is a lifeline that goes beyond merely escaping war or violence. It complements Salih’s recently outlined goal of reducing by more than half, over the next decade, the number of refugees in long-term displacement reliant on humanitarian assistance.

To achieve this, it will be essential to expand opportunities for voluntary return and resettlement, as well as access to jobs, healthcare and education, and support for local integration – enabling refugees to move beyond survival and rebuild their lives in dignity.

“No one chooses to leave everything they love behind. It is a heart-wrenching reality that can happen to anyone, at any moment. As someone who has walked this path, I know it is purely by circumstance that it is not you or I fleeing today. The right to seek safety is a sacred promise of shared humanity, and until everyone is safe, we must keep standing together,” said Maya Ghazal, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and the first Syrian female refugee to become a pilot.

“As a refugee, I know that asylum is a lifeline of hope – and it is the beautiful, fierce empathy of young people today that gives me faith that this lifeline will endure. We understand that we are all connected, and we will not stop speaking out until everyone is safe,” she added.

“Until Everyone Is Safe” is available across global digital platforms, featuring a range of refugee voices and learning tools to help young people better understand, discuss and defend the right to seek safety.

UNHCR is calling on young people, creators, and community leaders worldwide to join in raising their voices and helping keep the promise of safety for everyone alive – until everyone is safe.