By Divine Mugisha

Today, the university fraternity joins the rest of the world to celebrate World Refugee Day themed “Community as a Superpower.” USIU-Africa is home to a vibrant community of refugee students, many of whom excel as classmates, group members, academic performers, and student leaders. You may hardly tell them apart from the rest of the students or even notice the difference because when refugees are given an opportunity, they fit in with everybody else. They are not merely victims of war and violence but citizens of the earth, brilliant, resilient, and full of potential, just like you and me.

As conflicts continue to escalate across the globe, more and more people are being forcibly displaced. According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 123.2 million people worldwide had been forced to run away from their homes due to violence, persecution, human rights violations, conflict and other issues as of the end of 2024. This number comprised of about 42.7 million refugees, 73.5 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and 8.4 million asylum-seekers. UNHCR’s2025 Global Appeal report states that the number of forcibly displaced and stateless individuals is expected to reach approximately 139.3 million by the end of this year.

Being a refugee is often the result of circumstances far beyond one’s control. Yet, despite this, refugees face some of the toughest policies and restrictions globally. Many can barely access basic human rights such as freedom of movement, due to widespread encampment policies. They are frequently denied access to job opportunities and essential documentation like work permits or travel documents. UNHCR reports that 4.4 million stateless people have been denied a nationality and lack access to basic rights such as education, health care, employment and freedom of movement. Life in camp settlements is often marked by poverty, hardship, and limited opportunity.

This day serves as a reminder that we can make the world a better place for them through actions and not just words. Although changing policies is challenging and takes a lot of time, individual persons can still enhance a refugees’ lives through small acts of compassionate. Whether it’s giving a friend a hug to show them how big and beautiful the world is, providing or linking them with job opportunities, conversing with them or creating knowledge and awareness about refugee situations through research, each contribution counts.

As we celebrate this year’s World Refugee Day, the university remains committed to giving refugees an equal chance to access education that will take them places.