World Refugee Day 2025
World Refugee Day 2025
Experience powerful, heartwarming stories of resilience and hope. Join us for a free film screening in honor of World Refugee Day.
This international day pays tribute to the courage of those forced to flee their homes. Together, we can stand in solidarity, defend the right to safety, and support refugees as they rebuild their lives. Be part of this meaningful commemoration.
3RD REFUGEE FILM FESTIVAL
On 21 June 2025, UNHCR Philippines will be holding the 3rd Refugee Film Festival showcasing the stories of people forced to flee through films and documentaries from the Philippines and around the globe. The film festival aims to help bring awareness, build empathy, and mobilize action for and on behalf of the 122 million forcibly displaced persons worldwide.
Admission is FREE. Reserve your tickets:
Refugee Film Festival
WE DARE TO DREAM
21 June 2025 (Saturday) 1:00-3:10 PM PST
We Dare to Dream is the story of refugee athletes from Iran, Syria, South Sudan and Cameroon who swim, run and fight their way to opportunity and safety in host nations across the world. Spanning a breadth of backgrounds, personal stories and Olympic sports, the film reveals their lives and hopes as they train to compete on the world stage, showing the fire and the drive of young people forced to leave their families, homes and countries of birth to build new lives out of nothing.
PEACE BY CHOCOLATE
21 June 2025 (Saturday) 3:20-5:30 PM PST
After the bombing of his father's chocolate factory, a charming young Syrian refugee struggles to settle into his new Canadian small-town life, caught between following his dream to become a doctor and preserving his family's chocolate-making legacy. Based on the internationally recognized true story.
SHORT FILM SCREENING
AWARDING AND CLOSING PROGRAM
21 June 2025 (Saturday) 5:40-7:00 PM PST
The screening of the Top 5 Short Film Competition entries will be followed by the Awarding and Closing Program. As part of the Film Festival, we have invited interested young people in the Philippines to submit their entries for the Short Film Competition, with the theme “Strengthening Spaces of Resilience and Hope”. Interested participants were encouraged to use their talent and skills in filmmaking to help bring awareness, build empathy, and mobilize action for and on behalf of the more than 122 million forcibly displaced persons worldwide.
What is 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 20 June and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.
Why is World Refugee Day important?
World Refugee Day shines a light on the rights, needs and dreams of refugees, helping to mobilize political will and resources so refugees can not only survive but also thrive. While it is important to protect and improve the lives of refugees every single day, international days like World Refugee Day help to focus global attention on the plight of those fleeing conflict or persecution. Many activities held on World Refugee Day create opportunities to support refugees.
When is World Refugee Day and when did it start?
World Refugee Day falls each year on 20 June and is dedicated to refugees around the globe. World Refugee Day was held globally for the first time on 20 June 2001, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. It was originally known as Africa Refugee Day, before the United Nations General Assembly officially designated it as an international day in December 2000.
What happens on World Refugee Day?
Each year, World Refugee Day is marked by a variety of events in many countries around the globe in support of refugees. These activities are led by or involve refugees themselves, government officials, host communities, companies, celebrities, school children and the general public, among others. Read our World Refugee Day Live Blog to discover some of the activities that took place in 2022.