Dozens rally in Regina for plight of refugees

About two dozen people gathered in front of Regina's city hall this weekend to show solidarity with refugees around the world.

A walk was held on Saturday in recognition of World Refugee Day, which happened earlier in the week.

Tewodros Gebreselassie came to Canada from Ethiopia as a refugee many years ago, and said he took part in the walk to give a voice to those who do not have one.

"In Ethiopia we have a lot of refugees. You know, some of them died oversea travelling Libya, to Europe. And then some of them is ship [sinking] in the ocean," he said.

He added that in many foreign countries, it's hard to voice your thoughts about violence and corruption.

Gebreselassie believes Canada is a good country and said people are welcoming. For him, the hardest part about transitioning to Canada was the weather.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees' annual Global Trends study says that at the end of 2016, there were 65.6 million people displaced worldwide by war, violence and persecution — more than at any time in the UNHCR's nearly 70-year history.

World Refugee Day is a campaign of the UNHCR to raise awareness about the issue.