Sajjad Askary was still a teenage boy when he fled his home, eventually finding safety in Australia.
This World Refugee Day, Mr Askary, now a Melbourne-based lawyer, is working alongside Australia for UNHCR helping to raise awareness about refugee children separated from their parents.
“My parents were Hazara and fled Afghanistan before I was born. I then made the dangerous journey by myself to Australia because of targeted killings in our new country of Pakistan,” says Mr Askary.
“I was fortunate to be adopted by a family in Adelaide who really supported me through Year 12 after just three months of intensive English lessons. My journey to university was difficult, but I was driven by a vision to become a lawyer and advocate – for myself and for other refugees as well.”
Mr Askary obtained two degrees from Monash University, a Bachelor of Arts majoring in International Relations followed by a Juris doctor.
He now works as a lawyer at Victoria Legal Aid, while also advocating for refugees and human rights.
Mr Askary, who has recently been joined in Australia by his mother, sister and niece, will share more about his story at Australia for UNHCR’s World Refugee lunch in Sydney on Thursday June 19.
Around the world, there are hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied and separated children with particularly large numbers in Africa.
“Children continue to make up a disproportionate number of the world’s refugees and, of great concern are those who are unaccompanied by an adult,” says Australia for UNHCR CEO, Trudi Mitchell.
“These children are among the world’s most vulnerable and urgently need support. They need the basics, like food, shelter and medicine, but they also need the assistance of social workers, foster carers, psychologists and teachers.”
“Members of my team recently visited Uganda, which hosts almost two million refugees from countries including Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” said Ms Mitchell.
More than half of them are aged under the age of 18, and almost 50,000 are children who are unaccompanied or separated from their families.
“Despite current funding challenges, UNHCR is working tirelessly to reunite children with their relatives, find trusted foster families, provide psychological support, help children return to school or access vocational training, and educate communities about child rights,” said Ms Mitchell.
According to UNHCR’s Global Trends Report, released last week, children now make up 40% of the estimated 123.2 million people displaced worldwide.
“It’s always painful to think of the large numbers of children who are still going through today, what I had to endure myself before arriving in Australia,” said Mr Askary.
“That’s why I want to share my story and highlight the situation of unaccompanied minors who have been on the run and on the move without their families.”
Media enquiries and interview requests:
Kelsey Taylor | Senior Media & Communications Manager, Australia for UNHCR | [email protected] | +61 450 322 320
More about Australia for UNCHR
Australia for UNHCR supports vulnerable people fleeing conflict, disaster and persecution around the world. As the UN Refugee Agency’s partner in Australia, we mobilise individuals, community groups and businesses to support refugees and displaced people. Together, we advocate and fundraise for refugee protection, emergency aid and long-term support.
World Refugee Day is on Friday June 20, 2025.