News 12 Staff

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Jun 22, 2024, 6:40 PM

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Updated

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Bridgeport honored the city's refugees and their families at Seaside Park Saturday as part of World Refugee Day.

World Refugee Day celebrates and honors those who left everything they once knew to call a brand-new place home.

"First thing to know is that we celebrate hope," said Deao Byakisaka, director of refugee services for Connecticut Institute For Refugees and Immigrants. He said the refugees' progress in the United States is worth celebrating.

"To come together after what they went through and see people smiling, it's very big for us," he added.

Every year, the Connecticut Institute For Refugees and Immigrants serve around 4,000 people.

"It's really difficult for clients. They're getting jobs, they're learning a new language, the kids are enrolling in school. This is just a day to celebrate with everybody," said Susan Schnitzer, president and CEO of the institute.

Attendees told News 12 they grateful that they can call the United States home.