South Africans urged to protect refugees on #WorldRefugeeDay
This year alone 59.5 million people have been displaced because of wars and natural disasters.
Doctors Without Borders has called on the government and the people of this country to respect the rights and dignity of refugees, migrants and displaced people who have been forced to flee their countries.
This came when the world was commemorating World Refugee Day on Saturday.
World Refugee Day has been commemorated throughout the world since the year 2001 on June 20.
It is an initiative by the United Nations to raise awareness about refugees and all people who are forced to flee their homes to other countries because of wars, natural disasters and other difficulties.
This year alone 59.5 million people have been displaced because of wars and natural disasters.
This is the biggest number of refugees the world has seen since the Second World War.
South Africa, and particularly Gauteng, is currently home to a number of refugees mostly from other African countries which are currently experiencing wars and economic difficulties.
Recent xenophobic attacks which spiralled out of control early this year, forced the government to open refugee camps in Durban for foreign nationals who were forced to flee their homes.
Since the beginning of the year more than 100,000 asylum seekers have tried to reach European shores from places like Eritrea, Syria, Somalia and Yemen. In the first five months of 2015 alone, more than 1,800 people died in these boats.
People from Zimbabwe risk their lives every day trying to cross the border to South Africa hoping for a better life.
Some are forced to swim on the crocodile infested Limpopo River.
Doctors Without Borders is urging all Soweto residents to welcome, protect and respect the dignity of foreign nationals.
