How are refugees and asylum seekers different from other migrants?
Refugees and asylum seekers are considered forced or involuntary migrants. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, 2021), forced migration refers to situations where people are dislocated from their homes and communities due to “persecution, conflict, generalized violence or human rights violations”.
What is the difference between refugees and asylum seekers?
A ‘refugee’ is a person who is recognized under the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa as being “outside their country of origin for reasons of feared persecution, conflict, generalized violence, or other circumstances that have seriously disturbed public order and, as a result, require[in] international protection” (United Nations General Assembly, 1951).
An asylum seeker is a person who claims refugee status, has applied for legal protection in another country, and whose application is yet to be processed (Migration Data Portal, 2021). Many countries have their own system in place to verify and review individuals’ claims for asylum.
What is resettlement?
Resettlement is a formal process overseen by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for transferring refugees from the country they first sought protection in (typically a country adjacent to their country of origin) to another country, that has agreed to admit them and ultimately grant them permanent residence; only a small percentage of refugees in urgent need of resettlement become resettled.