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June 20, 2009 - 5:32 PDT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ADVISORY

Paris, France (June 20, 2009) - June 20 is World Refugee Day, a day to remember the millions in our world who have been forcibly uprooted by persecution and violence. Many will never be able to return home. Many will never be able to live in safety. These are real people with real needs.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) say there are nearly 11 and a half million refugees around the world and 26 million internally displaced people. The largest number of refugees is to be found in the Middle East. According to the UNHCR half the refugees in the world today come from just two countries, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Refugees are real people with real needs for protection:
'I was a respected high school teacher back home. Here, I have been turned into a fugitive. At any moment I can get arrested for not having valid residency papers and be detained or deported.' (Hala, a mother of four from Iraq, now living in a refugee camp in Lebanon.)

Young refugees face many problems and challenges in many countries of the Middle East. Access to education is crucial; it is a real need for those who have been forced to leave their homeland or for those who have no homeland. Students who are seeking an education as a refugee face several problems.

While many young refugees have assistance in the initial days, they experience ongoing difficulties when they seek an education such as evictions and rent exploitation. Students who seek an education also experience psychological difficulty, including loneliness, depression, isolation, a sense of helplessness, and uncertainty or anxiety about the future. These psychological states deteriorate students' ability to remain focused on their studies and complete their education.

As a Catholic movement working with students, we believe that young refugees have a right to education. Without access to education, young people lose hope, their dreams of a better future are frustrated and their talents are wasted.

We believe that every young person is created in the image of God and that every young person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect no matter their immigration status.
On this World Refugee Day 2009 we commit ourselves to supporting all young refugees in the Middle East. We call upon all governments to create and implement welcoming policies that protect the real needs of real people. We need to work with others to raise awareness of the particular needs of refugee students. We hope and pray that World Refugee Day 2009 will inspire us all to take action and to help build a better future for all without a homeland.


ABOUT IMCS
The International Movement of the Catholic Students (IMCS- Pax Romana) is an international association of Catholic faithful recognized by the Holy See through the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Secretariat of State. It also enjoys consultative status with UNESCO, DPI, and ECOSOC at the UN since 1949.

As an organization of tertiary-level Catholic students, our primary mission is the evangelization of the student milieu. We provide formation for students primarily based on the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church. With some millions of members in over 80 countries worldwide, our roots go back to 1887. We strive to empower students to take ownership of their faith and enable them to grow as current and future leaders of the Church and society.

Contact

International Movement of Catholic Students - Pax Romana
http://www.imcs-miec.org
, 75014 FR
Christopher Malano - Secretary General, 33 145447075

Keywords

IMCS Pax Romana MIEC World Refugee Day

Category

Newman Centers & Campus Ministries

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