IIROSA has extended support and assistance to more than 22 million refugees and displaced people in 42 countries. The organization provided tents, covers, foodstuffs, medicines and other relief material, Basha said.

The United Nations has observed the International Day of Migrants since the year 2000. Basha hailed the occasion and urged relief and humanitarian organizations in particular to extend a helping hand to migrants. “Regardless of its causes or factors, migration is a God-given right to all human beings,” he said, recalling the Qur'anic verse: “Was the land of God not spacious enough to migrate in.”

Basha noted that migration has become a growing phenomenon in the world. Either by choice, in search of better living conditions or due to wars, conflicts and religious, racial or political oppression. He called for enhancing international cooperation to organize and legalize migration and to extend humanitarian assistance and relief help to the migrants, the refugees and the displaced.

In 2010, 43 million people were forced to migrate or seek refuge, including 15 million who were dispersed inside their own countries, Basha said, citing international reports. He said IIROSA was determined to do whatever it could to help them.

The secretary-general called for supporting the UN’s efforts aimed at providing assistance to the refugees and said this is a duty on all governments and people. He said the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has been doing a great service to the Palestinians who, with 4.6 million refugees, represent the single largest group of refugees in the world.

The UN should expand its definition of the word "refugee," Basha said, to also include people who are displaced in their own countries due to security reasons or political unrest. He said IIROSA maintains close relationships of cooperation and coordination with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to exchange data and reports on the movements of refugees to channel help for them.

Basha, who is also the chairman of the relief committee of the Cairo-based Islamic Council for Dawa and Relief, urged all local, regional and international organizations to help the victims of the current political turmoil in Arab countries. He said it was a religious and humanitarian duty to assist the refugees, the displaced and the migrants.