Saturday 20th of  June : World Refugee Day

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Johan Leman, 18 June 2026

20 June is World Refugee Day, a day established by the United Nations to raise global awareness of people who have been forced to flee their countries because of war, violence, or persecution.

Foyer vzw is not a refugee organization. Our day-to-day work is broader, as it focuses on refugees, migrants, and the generations that follow them, with an emphasis on equal opportunities, empowerment, intercultural dialogue, and living together in diversity. However, we do provide specialized legal advice on refugee matters one day a week.

Among the refugees who reach us are often young people with dreams and aspirations. Sometimes they are parents seeking safety for their children. They are people who possess, to varying degrees, education, skills, a sense of humour, and perseverance.

What they ask of us, beyond practical assistance, is not pity but humanity.

Many people in host societies feel that they cannot solve all the problems of the world. That concern is understandable. But the question then becomes: what should be done about it?

Under pressure from public opinion, governments often prioritize preventing refugees from reaching our countries. And once a refugee has arrived, the focus is frequently on removing them as quickly as possible.

Can we be a little more concrete and realistic than telling a refugee: “You may go anywhere, as long as it is not here with us”?

In other words: should the priority lie in a repressive approach, or in a constructive and proactive one?

There are serious questions to be asked about the way the European Union and most of its member states, including our own country, are currently addressing this issue. And between us: why prioritize and invest enormous amounts of money in fake, cosmetic solutions? Just to be able to show people a few declining trend lines on a graph? It’s absolutely absurd.

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