On 18 September, during his visit to Estonia, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, visited the Estonian Refugee Council's office in Tallinn and met with refugees living in Estonia at Teacher's House (Õpetajate Maja).

According to Eero Janson, Head of the Estonian Refugee Council, hosting the UN High Commissioner is a significant honour. "During the meeting, we discussed our work in Estonia and elsewhere, as well as various joint advocacy efforts aimed at protecting the rights of people forced to flee their homes," Janson said.

Representatives from the Estonian Human Rights Centre and NGO Mondo also participated in the meeting on behalf of civil society.

Later, Filippo Grandi met with members of the local refugee community at Õpetajate Maja to hear their stories, experiences, and concerns regarding integration into Estonian society. After listening to their accounts, the High Commissioner emphasised that language barriers often pose one of the biggest obstacles to settling into a new environment, regardless of the country. He highlighted that language education is an area requiring joint efforts and thanked the Estonian Refugee Council for its work in assisting and supporting refugees.

Filippo Grandi has been the UN High Commissioner for Refugees since 2016, leading the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which coordinates international protection and assistance for more than 100 million displaced people worldwide.