World Refugee Day 2025

World Refugee Day: Our Profound Responsibility to the Displaced

On June 20, we mark World Refugee Day—not just as a date on the calendar, but as a moral reckoning.

Across the globe, over 100 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes. They flee war, persecution, caste violence, climate disaster, political tyranny, and economic collapse. From Rohingya families in Bangladesh and Tamil asylum seekers in Canada, to Afghan refugees in India and Palestinians trapped under occupation—these are not isolated crises. They are symptoms of a global system that has failed to honor the most basic principle of shared humanity.

Our response should be rooted in our deepest ethical traditions. Our stories are filled with those who flee injustice, live in exile, or offer refuge to the vulnerable. Lord Rama was cast out into the forest. Krishna’s birth was hidden to protect him from state violence. Saints and seekers have walked through centuries offering food, water, and safety to strangers. These tale do not simply teach compassion—they demand action. They remind us that no one should be turned away because of their origin, belief, or birth. That offering safety to the vulnerable is not a favor, but a fundamental responsibility.

Yet today, we see governments and societies doing the opposite. Borders are hardened. Refugees are detained and dehumanized. In the name of national identity, laws are passed that divide and exclude. In India, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) discriminates against Muslims seeking refuge. In the United States, asylum seekers are imprisoned, deported, or denied entry altogether. Across Europe and the Global South, the displaced are treated not as survivors, but as intruders.

This is a betrayal—not just of international law—but of the values that bind us to each other.

Within and our communities, we call on temples, faith leaders, and cultural organizations to open their doors—not only to celebrate tradition, but to live it.

Home is a Human Right

To seek safety is not a crime. To welcome the stranger is not a political gesture—it is a sacred responsibility.

World Refugee Day is not just a time to speak of suffering—it is a time to act with courage. Let us listen to those who have been displaced. Let us reject the politics of fear and division. Let us reclaim the ethical force of our traditions—those that honor the traveler, the guest, the persecuted, and the displaced.

Let us build a world where every human being has the right to belong.