The label “refugee” is used to describe any person forced to flee their home country due to war, persecution, and/or violence. Refugee status is a form of legal protection granted to such people that acknowledges their forced displacement and entitles them to certain protections under international law.

 

Refugee status is a fundamental human right that is guaranteed by the 1951 UN Convention on refugees that defines a refugee as a person outside their home country who has “a well-founded fear of persecution due to [their] race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social or ethnic group.” The 1951 UN Convention also outlines the “right to non-refoulement,” which ensures that refugees will be protected from attempts at forcing their return to their home country where they would most likely be prosecuted.

 

While refugees are forced to escape their home country due to threats of persecution, migrants are able to leave their home country for any reason, including to secure jobs, reunite with loved ones, and pursue education internationally. Another notable difference between refugees and migrants is that while refugees are protected under international law due to their forced displacement, migrants are subject to laws of the country they move to.

​

An asylum seeker refers to a person who has escaped their home country and is seeking protection by applying for refugee status upon arrival to a new country, but whose application has either not yet been processed or approved. While refugee status is a fundamental human right, the process of attaining it is often incredibly challenging. Many asylum seekers undergo lengthy legal battles in order to receive protection under international law.

 

Finally, an internally displaced person (IDP) refers to a person who is forcibly displaced by “conflict, violence, or natural disasters within their own home country.”