Kyrgyzstan celebrates World Refugee Day

Bishkek, June 20, 2019. /Kabar/. Refugees, representatives of the State Migration Service under the Kyrgyz Government, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) gathered in Bishkek to mark World Refugee Day and pay tribute to the resilience and courage of more than 65 million people who were forced to flee war, persecution and violence, the press service of the State Migration Service of Kyrgyzstan reported.
Kyrgyzstan has established its national asylum system and since the 1990s has generously hosted more than 20,000 refugees. Currently, there are about 400 asylum seekers and refugees in the Kyrgyz Republic.
"Refugees are one of the most acute problems of our time, which has now acquired a global dimension. The international community is consolidating its efforts to alleviate the plight of these people. Including our state, being a party to the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (1951) since 1996, contributes to the activities to solve the problems of refugees. Importance is attached to the implementation of joint integration programs with UNHCR. More than 9,000 people have acquired citizenship of the Kyrgyz Republic since 2002. In addition, the rights of refugees, such as employment, entrepreneurship, property acquisition, judicial protection and others, are implemented within the framework of Kyrgyz law. I would like to note the Migration Service will continue to promote the refugee’s protection and strengthen effective cooperation with UNHCR," Zhypara Mambetova, Head of the department for work with refugees of the Migration Service said.
"This event shows solidarity with refugees and their host communities in Kyrgyzstan. The majority of refugees have lived here for many years, and many refugee children were born on the territory of this country. This event is a symbol of friendship between all children and gives everyone the opportunity to demonstrate their talents and skills," Yasuko Oda, the Head of the UNHCR Regional Office for Central Asia said.
Celebrations included sports competitions where refugee children participated in various sports games to demonstrate their skills and hobbies on the football field.
World Refugee Day, international observance celebrated June 20 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world.