20/06/2026
PRESS STATEMENT ON WORLD REFUGEE DAY
THEME: UNTIL EVERYONE IS SAFE
Globally, every 20th day of June nations commemorate World Refugee Day to reflect on the journey of the 1959 Convention relating to the status of refugees and future modalities on refugee protection. This year’s commemoration comes amidst forced migration crisis with rising and ongoing international, regional and domestic wars and conflicts such as the Russia- Ukraine war, US- Iran and Israel, Sudan and DRC conflicts. This situation further exacerbates the refugee crisis, placing additional strain on already limited resources and protection response capacities. The challenge is compounded by the continued influx of refugees, with Uganda remaining Africa’s largest refugee-hosting country, accommodating 2,024,416 refugees and asylum seekers as of May 2026 (UNHCR, 2026).
Uganda continues to respect its international and regional commitments concerning forced migration under its open-door policy for asylum through laws and policies and effective implementation. This year’s World Refugee Day theme “Until Everyone Is Safe” is a reminder to state governments, local governments, communities, and individuals of their roles and commitments towards building, and rewriting refugee stories with hope and compassion. Rewriting refugee stories encompasses ensuring refugees’ safety in terms of legal recognition, physical safety, economic stability, psychological security, and social inclusion. Safety of refugees is not only limited to the country of refuge but to also the country of origin and the third country of asylum; and further interconnections to the existing durable solutions.
At Refugee Law project (RLP) through our five thematic programmes , we continue to ensure the safety of refugees and asylum seekers in all our interventions through our open door and non-discrimination approaches. The provision of comprehensive legal aid services to forced migrants has enhanced access to diverse human rights namely access to courts of law, quasi judicial bodies, civil and legal documentation. To promote safe integration in the community, through RLP’s English for Adult (EFA) course administered through the “Speak Your Rights” curriculum, we empower refugees and asylum seekers to defend their rights, access services, engage in social economic initiatives/ventures, and smoothly integrate in their communities in coordination with the vibrant community structures established. RLP continues to address torture, violence, including trauma and other forms of psychological consequences experienced by conflict affected individuals and communities through offering psychosocial support interventions ranging from counselling, and use of peer-to-peer support model for psychological rehabilitation. We strengthen the self-reliance and resilience of refugees and asylum seekers by adopting a multi-layered economic approach. Through targeted programme interventions such as English for Adults (EFA) through ‘Speak Your Rights Curriculum’, we have developed their diverse skills, including financial literacy, enabling them to participate effectively in financial inclusion initiatives. We have also connected their educational qualifications, professional experience, and competencies acquired in their countries of origin with employment and livelihood opportunities in Uganda, their country of asylum, thus, empowering them to rebuild their lives while contributing meaningfully to their host communities and the local economy..
RLP’s work towards safety of refugees and asylum seekers has been and continues to be achieved with distinguishable support from the Government of Uganda and the UNHCR. The Government of Uganda has been at the forefront in ensuring refugees and asylum seekers are legally recognised through its established refugee status determination processes country wide, integration of refugees and asylum seekers at the administrative level and in its legal structures, and forming effective institutions that offer extensive services to displacement-affected people. The Government’s efforts have accorded refugees and asylum seekers with diverse security in terms of social inclusion, economic security, and physical safety during their stay and repatriation to their Countries of origin.
State and non-state actors have continued to support refugees and asylum seekers in rebuilding their lives after displacement. Through coordinated protection, humanitarian, and development interventions, they have helped refugees and asylum seekers recover from trauma, address protection risks, strengthen their resilience, and manage the economic and social challenges associated with displacement. These efforts have enabled many to transition towards safer, more stable, and productive lives in Uganda.
Notably, refugees and asylum seekers face significant risks throughout their displacement journey. Many experience threats to their safety and wellbeing before, during, and after seeking asylum. In Uganda, they also encounter gaps between the country’s progressive refugee laws and policies and their implementation in practice. These challenges arise at different stages of the asylum process, from entry at the border to refugee status determination.
Recent changes to refugee status determination procedures have created additional barriers to accessing asylum. These changes include more restrictive asylum procedures for certain nationalities and the temporary suspension of prima facie refugee recognition from late last year to early this year. As a result, all asylum seekers are now required to present national identity documents from their countries of origin as part of the asylum process, despite the reality that many flee armed conflict, persecution, or generalized violence without the opportunity to obtain or carry such documentation. This requirement has created additional barriers to accessing asylum and has the potential to undermine the principle of effective access to international protection. Such developments have denied asylum seekers immediate access to services and enjoyment of their rights and exposed them to threats such as unlawful detention. They have also limited timely access to protection for some asylum seekers and underscore the need to strengthen implementation so that practice fully reflects Uganda’s legal and policy commitments to refugee protection. Some asylum seekers who have entered the country in search of protection have been affected by security operations before their asylum claims were determined. In some cases, authorities have detained or deported asylum seekers to their countries of origin while their applications remained pending. Many of those returned feared persecution, torture, or other serious human rights violations if sent back. Such actions raise serious protection concerns and may constitute violations of the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of individuals to places where they face a real risk of persecution, torture, or other forms of serious harm. In the process of locally integrating, refugees and asylum seekers encounter barriers that limit access to safety. While there exist laws, policies and practices in place that aim to facilitate smooth integration locally, in reality refugees and asylum seekers go through a long process to access services, government livelihood interventions, and access jobs, for instance. Urban refugees living in cities across Uganda still face social-economic challenges that have been worsened by the recently issued Ministry of Local Government Trade Order Directive that restricts retail businesses to only nationals given that most of urban refugees survive on the informal sector such as street vending and hawking.
Despite Uganda’s strong commitment to refugee protection, statelessness remains a significant concern that requires urgent attention and coordinated action by government institutions, civil society, international organisations, refugee-led organisations, and affected communities.
As a State Party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, Uganda has continued to provide sanctuary to refugees and asylum seekers, enabling many to rebuild their lives, restore their dignity, and share their stories of resilience. Sustaining this commitment requires strengthening integrated protection systems through effective coordination among government agencies, local governments, humanitarian and development partners, local communities, and refugees themselves. Such collaboration can improve access to essential services, strengthen early identification of protection risks, and ensure timely and appropriate responses to the diverse needs of refugees and asylum seekers.
As we commemorate this year’s World Refugee Day, we call upon the national Government of Uganda, local governments, host communities, international and national organisations, the private sector, and refugee-led organisations to renew their commitment to refugee protection and inclusion. Together, let us continue to sow seeds of hope through compassion, solidarity, and shared responsibility, creating opportunities for displaced persons not only to survive but also to thrive and contribute meaningfully to their host communities.
