The total number of refugees has set historical records, reaching more than 25 million people around the world. According to data from the World Bank (2017), the number of Arab refugees has surpassed eight and a half million. These are individuals forced to abandon their countries because of wars, violence, major human rights abuses or persecution. According to data from Amnesty International, in 2016 the drama had already stricken nearly five million people in Syria, who had been displaced to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.

Throughout history, different civilizations have suffered from or found themselves caught up in different migratory crises, resulting in a major exodus of their populations. The most recent, which occurred in 2015, led to the arrival of over one million people along the coasts of Europe, mainly of Syrian, Iraqi and Somali origin, but also of many other nationalities.

This latest crisis, in which we remain immersed, undoubtedly one of those to get the most media coverage in history, has left behind images which are hard to forget, like the inflatable boat in which Aylan’s family traveled along with other Syrian refugees who had left from the Bodrum Peninsula (in southwestern Turkey) to reach the island of Kos but unfortunately did not make it to their “destination.” This image, which has so greatly affected consciences all over Europe, is just the tip of the iceberg forming the full drama, because every year the dead can be counted by the thousands.

On World Refugee Day Casa Árabe attempts to place the emphasis not only on the strength, courage and perseverance of the families forced to abandon their homes, but also to reflect upon the role which society can or must play. To do this, we have invited specialists on the topic, who will give us a closer look at it from the local to international levels, to view a reality which, despite happening so nearby, feels a world away.