Refugee Week 2025 in Australia will be held from today to Saturday 21 June, and includes World Refugee Day on Friday 20 June, the international day to honour people who have been forced to flee. This week is a time to celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.
This week shines a light on the rights, needs and dreams of refugees, helping to mobilize political will and resources so refugees can not only survive but thrive. Here at MYAN, our work aims to advocate for and protect and improve the lives of refugees in Australia.
As part of our celebrations, we spotlight Arash to hear more about his story.
1. Tell us a little about yourself (4–6 sentences about you, your background, what you currently do):
My name is Arash Bordbar, and I am currently at UNHCR Headquarters in Copenhagen supporting our effort on refugee higher education and youth development. I work at the intersection of refugee education, youth leadership, and global policy, helping shape initiatives that create real opportunities for forcibly displaced people around the world. Originally from Iran, I arrived in Australia as a young refugee with my family and eventually became deeply involved in refugee advocacy, both nationally through the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN) and globally through working with civil societies and the UN system. My journey has taken me from community grassroots to international diplomacy, but at the heart of it, I’m still driven by a simple belief: everyone deserves the chance to lead a dignified life, no matter where they’re from.
2. What has your journey to living in Australia looked like?
My journey to Australia was shaped by the difficult decision to leave home not by choice, but because safety and freedom were no longer guaranteed. When I arrived as a refugee in Malaysia, I faced many of the challenges that come with displacement, learning a new language, adapting to a new culture, and starting over. But I also encountered solidarity, support, and people who believed in me. Australia became a place of renewal for me, where I finished my education, found my voice in advocacy, and began building a future I could be proud of. That experience continues to inform my work today.
3. How has your experience being a refugee shaped you?
Being a refugee taught me resilience, empathy, and the importance of community. It showed me how fragile stability can be, but also how powerful hope and opportunity are when people are given the chance to rebuild. It shaped my identity not through trauma alone, but through strength and through a commitment to ensure that other young people who are displaced do not have to walk their journey alone or in silence. It also gave me a purpose: to work toward systems that see refugees not as burdens, but as contributors and leaders.
4. This World Refugee Day, what’s on your mind?
This World Refugee Day, I’m thinking about the millions of young refugees who are still waiting for their chance, to study, to work, to dream without fear. I’m also thinking about how global debates often overlook those living at the sharpest edge of crisis. In a time of growing conflict and shrinking humanitarian space, it’s more important than ever that we don’t forget the people behind the statistics. Solidarity must be more than a slogan. It must be a commitment to action, to inclusion, to investment, and to hope.
5. What can the community do to stand in solidarity with refugees?
Solidarity starts with seeing refugees as people, not through the lens of crisis, but of potential. Communities can stand in solidarity by creating spaces for inclusion, amplifying refugee voices, and advocating for fair policies that uphold dignity and rights. Whether it’s supporting education, offering mentorship, or simply listening to refugee stories, every act of solidarity counts. True solidarity is not about charity, it’s about justice, partnership, and ensuring no one is left behind.
MYAN stands in solidarity with refugees all over the world.