The United Nations Refugee Agency defines a refugee as someone “who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence.”

In his World Refugee Day message, UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon said, “Our responses to refugees must be grounded in our shared values of responsibility sharing, non-discrimination, and human rights and in international refugee law, including the principle of non-refoulement [the forcible return of refugees or asylum seekers to a country where they are liable to be subjected to persecution].”

According to the United Nations, “every minute eight people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror.” The magnitude of this situation calls for cooperation between government agencies, religious groups, civil society and caring individuals everywhere.

Our responses to refugees must be grounded in our shared values of responsibility sharing, non-discrimination, and human rights and in international refugee law, including the principle of non-refoulement.

BAN KI-MOON, UN SECRETARY-GENERAL

Scientology Churches and Scientologists advocate for the rights of refugees as an intrinsic element of their human rights initiative. For example:

• Scientology Volunteer Ministers provide relief in Burundi refugee camps
• Volunteers of a Scientology-supported human rights initiative work to ease tensions in Germany, which has become increasingly polarized over the refugee issue. ​
• Scientology Volunteer Ministers and the Brussels branch of the Churches of Scientology for Europe have provided training the Syrian and Iraqi refugees to help them find employment and integrate into Belgian society. ​
• The Church of Scientology Melbourne works with leaders of the refugee movement to see to the human rights of those who have sought asylum in their community.

Throughout the year, Churches of Scientology and their parishioners from Pasadena to Pretoria, Tampa to Taiwan, Mexico City to Manhattan and Plymouth to St. Petersburg promote human rights awareness through petition drives, educational programs and forums.

Scientologists on six continents engage in collaborative efforts with government agencies and nongovernmental organizations to bring about broad-scale awareness and implementation of the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the world’s premier human rights document.