Watching nearly 3 million refugees fleeing the Ukraine over the last six weeks has brought the refugee crisis home to us, but this is only the tip of a cruel iceberg. UNHCR estimates that there are 84 million forcibly displaced persons worldwide and between 2018 and 2020 1 million babies were born as refugees. Tragically many will end up being refugees all their lives unless we do something about it.

This week we had a meeting with Becky Dell, Director of Citizens of The World Refugee Choir who WeAre8 are sponsoring at the Byline Festival on Sunday 1 May. We talked about this terrible problem and the importance of looking past the huge numbers to the individual stories that the choir brings into focus in its performances. We’re so pleased that the choir is now set up as a charity on WeAre8, and their beautiful content is being discovered on the 8Stage.

Although wars like in Syria and Ukraine have made millions of people refugees, the biggest growth of refugees recently, and much more so in the future, is climate change.

The UK Government’s response to Ukrainian refugees has been deeply disappointing although the British people have leapt to offer to welcome them into their homes. It is time the ‘Hostile Environment’ Home Office policy was changed for all refugees and asylum seekers so they are able to work while their applications are being processed.

At WeAre8 we want to do something about the critical factors that create so many refugees as well as do everything to help those who are looking after them.

Two big changes could stop millions of people from becoming refugees. It’s all about climate change and women.

Unless we seize the opportunity to halt Climate Change in the next crucial 8 years, the number of refugees in the world is going to soar as more land becomes marginalised. We need to take this seriously not just when there is a COP or another high-profile event. That’s why uniting millions on our technology to help save the planet is so important for us and our network of amazing WeAre8 supporters, and 8Citizens on our app..

Wars are the other significant reason people become refugees. The brilliant Dr Scilla Elworthy has written a “Business Plan for Peace’ which reveals that getting more women involved in peace-making will significantly reduce war. Indeed, Sweden, Canada and France  have already started putting this into practice by adopting a Feminist Foreign Policy. It is not a coincidence that men push their countries into war while women bear the brunt of their macho politics. Putin epitomises this.

If we can make these two things happen we can make a real difference and ensure that there are far fewer babies born as refugees.