One team competing at the Rio Olympics is made up of athletes without a home - refugees

Today is World Refugee Day and the UK is gearing up to an entire week of festivities in celebration of the talents and expertise that refugees bring to the country.

Meanwhile, in recognition of the international achievements of people who may not have a fixed citizenship or home, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has created a brand new team for this summer's Olympics - made up entirely of refugees.

IOC President Thomas Bach wrote:

By welcoming the team of Refugee Olympic Athletes to the Olympic Games Rio 2016, we want to send a message of hope for all refugees in our world.

Having no national team to belong to, having no flag to march behind, having no national anthem to be played, these refugee athletes will be welcomed to the Olympic Games with the Olympic flag and with the Olympic Anthem. They will have a home together with all the other 11,000 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees in the Olympic Village.

Recent figures published by the UN shows that the number of displaced people in the world has reached its highest ever recorded levels, at 65.3 million people.

That’s the equivalent of one in every 113 people in the world.

The Team of Refugee Olympic Athletes, made up of ten athletes, operate like any other and competitors are currently training for Rio 2016 in August.

Here are two Judo athletes who have been training in Brazil:

Popole Misenga (refugee, fled Democratic Republic of Congo)

You can’t let people think that just because they are refugees, they have to stop doing what they do because they are refugees.

They need to carry on practising their sports, they need to carry on boxing, they need to carry on running marathons.

The refugees have been given the chance to participate in the Olympic games – it’s the first time that has happened – and I am ready…I am ready to fight in the Olympic games.

Yolande Mabika (refugee, fled Democratic Republic of Congo)

I was 10 and a half when I started and four years later I was entering competitions. The money from the Olympic Committee helped me improve my life in Brazil.

Judo helped me a lot in life. It made me a stronger person.

The other members of the team are:

• Paulo Amotun (South Sudan, 1500m runner)
• Yiech Pur Biel (South Sudan, 800m runner)
• Rose Nathike Lokonyen (South Sudan, 800m runner)
• James Chiengjiek (South Sudan, 400m runner)
• Anjelina Nadai Lohalith (South Sudan, 1500m runner)
• Yonas Kinde (Ethiopia, runner)
• Rami Anis (Syria, swimmer)
• Yusra Mardini (Syria, swimmer)

Mabika added:

My message to the refugees of the world would be to not give up on hope and to keep believing, to have faith in their hearts.

You can read the athelete's individual profiles on the official Rio 2016 website.

More: 'Refugees Welcome' has been projected on to the White Cliffs of Dover ahead of a far-right protest

More: Everyone should listen to Caitlin Moran describe what a refugee really is