Since 2001, the UN General Assembly has proclaimed June 20 as World Refugee Day, which is dedicated to people who were forced to flee their homes and seek protection in other countries because of threats to their lives and persecution.

For us, this important date has become an occasion to talk about refugees amid humanitarian crisis and war. As of mid-2022, there are already 100 million refugees worldwide – these are people who are seeking or have already been granted asylum in other countries.

We invite you to two online talks to discuss the challenges for refugees from Ukraine and other countries. The talks will be held by international experts on the topic. There will be an opportunity to ask questions during the talks.

1. On June 17 (Friday) at 18:00 Minsk time there is a talk on “Vulnerable groups and the war” by Stefania Kulaeva, an expert of the Anti-Discrimination Center “Memorial”.
During the lecture you will be able to learn:

• what is the peculiarity of migration due to the war in Ukraine;
• which groups are in the most vulnerable position and what threatens them;
• what international standards are lacking in programs at the level of individual countries;
• in which countries the attitude to refugees from Ukraine is better and in which countries it is worse;
• what happens to people from Ukraine in Russia.

Lecture language: Russian.

2. On June 20 (Monday) at 18:00 Minsk time there is a talk on “Where there is a will, there is a way to help” from the regional coordinator of the Danish Refugee Council Selena Kozakijevic.
During the lecture you will be able to learn:

• what migration waves have taken place in the European Union in recent years and how countries have responded to them;
• how the European Union has shown solidarity with refugees from Ukraine;
• who has not been able to access aid and why;
• what standards are often violated in the migration sector and who is trying to improve the situation.

Lecture language: English (with simultaneous translation into Russian). To participate in talks, you must register using the link