Once fleeing for their lives, they now call Madison home: What it’s like to be a refugee

75,000 men, women, and children refugees in WI

MADISON, Wis. — Every 20 minutes, people around the world leave everything behind to escape war, persecution, and terror.

Refugees are some of these men, women, and children: who flee their home and country due to a “well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion”, according to the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention. Many refugees are in exile to escape the effects of natural or human-made disasters.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be one of these people? A local group is working to tackle that topic this week, in honor of World Refugee Day.

The United Nations established the day in 2000.

Today, there are more than 15,000 refugees living in Wisconsin. Odds are, you’ve probably met some of them and don’t even know it.

That’s the premise behind a town hall-style conversation happening Thursday at the Hillel building on the University of Wisconsin campus, which is located at 611 Langdon Street.

Everyone is invited to the free discussion, which will feature a panel on what it’s like to come to Madison as a refugee. The panel runs from 6-8 p.m. on June 20.

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