“Solidarity with Refugees“
Refugee Children and World Refugee Day
Children represent a particularly vulnerable group among the world’s displaced populations, facing unique challenges and requiring specialised protection.
Staggering Numbers
Children make up almost 40% of all refugees, representing one of the most vulnerable groups within the 123 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. According to data from UNICEF, approximately 47.2 million children were displaced by conflict and violence globally, including 19.1 million refugee children and asylum seekers, and an estimated 28.1 million children displaced within their own countries. https://www.unhcr.org/ie/world-refugee-day
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees continued its efforts to ensure the protection of over 50 million forcibly displaced and stateless children in 2023 alone, highlighting the massive scale of child displacement.
Unique Vulnerabilities
Refugee children face particular risks and challenges:
- Separation from families: Many children become unaccompanied or separated during displacement
- Educational disruption: Access to quality education is often interrupted or completely unavailable
- Health risks: Limited access to healthcare, vaccination programmes, and proper nutrition
- Psychological trauma: Exposure to violence, loss, and uncertainty affects mental health
- Exploitation risks: Increased vulnerability to trafficking, child labour, and abuse
- Legal invisibility: Many lack proper documentation or legal status
Rights Framework
Refugee children are protected under multiple international frameworks:
- The 1951 Refugee Convention provides fundamental protections
- The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees specific rights to all children, regardless of status
- The principle of “best interests of the child” must be a primary consideration in all decisions affecting refugee children
Key rights include the right to education, healthcare, protection from violence and exploitation, family unity, and non-discrimination.
The focus on children during World Refugee Day emphasises that despite their vulnerability, refugee children also represent hope for the future and possess incredible resilience. Supporting their rights, education, and well-being is not only a moral imperative but also an investment in building more inclusive and peaceful societies.
UNICEF and Partner Response
UNICEF works around the world to help protect the rights of migrant and displaced children, providing life-saving humanitarian supplies in refugee camps. They run child-friendly spaces – safe places where children on the move can play, where mothers can rest and feed their babies in private, where separated families can reunite. World Refugee Day 2025 | MAG.
Between 2020 and 2022, UNICEF and UNHCR implemented a bold new joint approach to refugee inclusion in 10 countries. In February 2023, UNICEF and UNHCR signed a new Strategic Collaboration Framework that sets out a common vision of a world where all children, including refugee and stateless children, are protected, included and able to learn and thrive.
World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day serves as a critical moment to:
- Raise awareness about the specific needs of refugee children
- Advocate for stronger protection systems
- Promote inclusion in education and community life
- Share stories of resilience and hope among displaced children
- Call for increased international cooperation and funding
Save the Children works tirelessly to provide refugees and those displaced by conflict with lifesaving aid. Their programmes aim to improve access to education and quality health care and protect children from exploitation. World Refugee Day 2025: Theme, History, Wishes, Quotes & Posters.
World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. United Nations
Historical Background
World Refugee Day was first established on June 20, 2001, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. The day has its origins in Africa Refugee Day, which was later expanded to become a global observance.
The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol form the foundation of international refugee protection. These are the only global legal instruments explicitly covering the most important aspects of a refugee’s life, establishing fundamental rights and protections for displaced persons.
2025 Theme:
This year’s theme—”Solidarity with Refugees”—urges us to move beyond words and take meaningful steps to support those forced to flee. Refugees seek not charity, but opportunity: a chance to rebuild their lives, contribute to their communities, and live with dignity. World Refugee Day | United Nations
The theme focuses on four key areas:
- Centering refugee voices: Listening to and sharing personal stories of refugees
- Building inclusive communities: Creating welcoming environments for integration
- Working together for peace and solutions: Supporting conflict resolution and sustainable futures
- Standing by humanitarian workers: Supporting those who deliver aid in difficult conditions
Current Global Context
The World Health Organisation reports that there are over 123 million forcibly displaced people worldwide World Children’s Day 2024 – The Museum of Childhood Ireland, representing record numbers of displacement. Every minute 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror. World Refugee Day | United Nations
Types of Displaced Persons
The UN recognises several categories of forcibly displaced persons:
- Refugees: Those who have crossed international borders fleeing persecution
- Asylum Seekers: Those claiming refugee status but not yet officially recognised
- Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): Displaced within their own country
- Stateless Persons: Those without recognised nationality
- Returnees: Former refugees returning to their countries of origin
Legal Framework
The cornerstone of refugee protection is the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning refugees to countries where they face serious threats. The 1951 Convention establishes fundamental rights including the right to work, housing, education, freedom of religion, and access to courts.
World Refugee Day serves as both a commemoration of refugee resilience and a call to action for greater international solidarity and support for displaced populations worldwide.
Museum of Childhood Ireland, Músaem Óige na hÉireann has a strong commitment to children’s rights and diversity. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UNSDG and NEB principles underpin all aspects of the museum’s work. MCI’s activities show our commitment to addressing children’s rights issues.
Exploring the diversity of children’s experiences, and ensuring that all children are meaningfully involved in the planning and running of the museum, and that they are Seen and Heard is central to the museum’s mission.
The Museum of Childhood Ireland’s Child Right’s Team regularly organise events that highlight and champion children’s rights and celebrate diversity.