In 2024, 123.2 million people worldwide were forced to leave their homes due to persecution, conflict, human rights violations, or environmental disasters. Of these, 42.7 million crossed their country’s borders and gained refugee status. A number that continues to rise.
Rarely do people become refugees by choice. In most cases, it is a forced decision, imposed by circumstances beyond their control. Maksym Slischynskyi, for example, did not want to leave Ukraine. But after his cousin was killed in a bombing while they were playing together in Pryshyb, a village in the south of the country, his mother saw no option but to flee to Poland.
Elizabeth Mahirwe and her husband Musa Bukebo also did not want to leave the Democratic Republic of Congo. With three young children and no support abroad, moving meant facing a radical change. Yet the advancing conflict made seeking refuge in Burundi the safest choice for the entire family, despite having no home, no income, and not speaking the local language.
AVSI's mission
In situations like these, AVSI’s work starts from a clear principle: not to see a refugee solely as a “refugee,” but as a whole person considering his/her journey, desires, and talents.
Yasmeri Flores Herrera, a Venezuelan refugee, knows this well. When she first arrived in Brazil, she felt invisible, reduced to just a number, as if her identity was limited to her legal status as a “refugee.” Participating in the “Empoderando Refugiadas” project, which offers technical and commercial training, allowed her to gain skills, meet new people from similar backgrounds, and most importantly, rediscover herself, remembering who she was and what she dreamed of before fleeing.
In different ways, AVSI’s projects support people at every stage of their journey: from arrival - with food distribution, essential goods, and initial shelter - to language classes that ease children’s school integration and adults’ access to work. Additionally, training courses help refugees navigate bureaucracy and become aware of their rights.
“Communities that educate. Places where hope grows”
However, individual effort alone is not enough. Inclusion is a two-way process, and community plays a vital role in making every person feel welcomed, recognized, and part of the whole. For this reason, AVSI’s campaign for World Refugee Day 2025, celebrated Friday, June 20, uses the slogan: “Communities that educate. Places where hope grows.”
A reminder that everyone can actively contribute to building an educational community: a place where people meet, learn, listen, and recognize one another. A place where hope flourishes.
You can revisit all the stories of AVSI’s refugee reception and integration projects on AVSI’s Instagram channel for World Refugee Day 2025:
@avsi_foundation
L'Integration as a collective process
Ragad Hamed El Mansour, a Syrian girl who arrived in Lebanon as a toddler, experienced years of bullying because of her background. Attending an educational center helped her form new friendships, both Syrian and Lebanese, discovering a new sense of belonging and regaining confidence, passion, and her love for learning.
In Milan, AVSI promotes integration through its AVSI for Community, a multifunctional center where refugees and migrants receive personalized guidance for all services they need: finding housing, learning Italian, and entering the workforce. As Iryna Zaitseva, a Ukrainian-born translator working at the center, says:
“Integration is not just about accessing services, it is a mutual process that goes beyond refugees adapting. True integration happens when people feel part of the community and have access to opportunities. Language, work, and mutual understanding are key to building a shared community.”
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