June 20th was World Refugee Day, and the subject of rising displacement is the focus of my latest story for WORLD. 

Political, racial, and religious persecution are driving a record number of people from their native countries.

In 2015, the number of displaced people rose to an all-time high of 59.5 million, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The announcement came ahead of World Refugee Day today.

The displaced include refugees who fled their homelands out of fear of persecution, asylum-seekers who claim refugee status, and internally displaced persons who fled to some other part of their home country.

Continue reading at WORLD.