This is account is a collection of new years rather than birthdays, but this one is significant. According to the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, many refugees “originate from countries where birthdays are not culturally or administratively significant and the precise date of birth may have never been recorded or the persons do not possess any forms of identity which indicate a specific date of birth.” And so all around the world, refugees to countries where its a requirement to have an official birthdays, are given the date of today, Jan 1st, as their birthday. In 2017 the UNHCR had to recommend to the UK government that the Department for Work & Pensions stop assigning Dec 31st as the birthday while the Home Office, in line with international practice, was designating 1st Jan, because: “The discrepancy in having two officially endorsed dates of birth creates undue hardship whilst navigation through important administrative matters. In the worst case scenario, individuals may face sanctions owing to imputed fraudulent activity by presenting with official documentation showing contrasting birth biometrics.” #HappyNewYear #HappyBirthday #EndTheHostileEnvironment #2021 #YearOfYears Source: https://www.unhcr.org/uk/58e516fa4.pdf #Repost @refugeecouncil with @get_repost ・・・ Happy Birthday to all refugees who don't know or can't prove when their real birthday is and have been assigned today instead. We hope 2021 is a great year for you! 🎉 https://www.instagram.com/p/CJgk3qilH9B/?igshid=1o7vty4r1qttf
