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On June 20, we mark World Refugee Day—an opportunity to honour the strength of those forced to flee and to recommit to the fight for their safety, dignity and rights.
According to the UNHCR, the number of forcibly displaced people around the world has reached a record 122.6 million. Behind this staggering figure are individuals and families uprooted by war, persecution, economic collapse and climate disasters—often with nowhere to turn.
Yet instead of compassion, too many governments are responding with indifference.
In the United States, the return of Trump to the White House has brought with it a sweeping rollback of refugee protections, including the suspension of the refugee admissions program and the expansion of third-country deportations, in violation of both national and international law.
In Canada, the federal government has introduced Bill C-2, the so-called Strong Borders Act, which would give ministers broad authority to suspend asylum claims and other immigration streams under vague grounds of national security or public health—threatening Canada’s international obligations to protect those fleeing violence and danger.
While these policies make headlines, what’s less visible—but just as harmful—are the massive cuts to global aid programs from countries including the U.S., U.K., Germany and France.
These decisions deepen the very conditions that cause displacement, while leaving lower and middle-income nations—already hosting more than 70% of the world’s refugees—to shoulder even greater burdens.
Unifor rejects this shift away from humanitarianism.
Refugees are not a threat.
They are workers, caregivers, neighbours and for many of our members, this issue is personal.
Through the Social Justice Fund, Unifor continues to support organizations on the frontlines of the global refugee crisis, including work by UNHCR, Equal Legal Aid, Islamic Relief Canada, Doctors without Borders and community partners like the Christie Refugee Welcome Centre and Romero House.
World Refugee Day is a call to resist the dehumanizing rhetoric and reactionary policies gaining traction around the globe. It’s a reminder that Canada must do better—and that solidarity cannot stop at our borders.
