Who is a refugee?

Refugees are people who were forced to flee their home country and have a well-founded fear of returning home. They fled war/violence and face persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group.

What is the difference between a refugee and a migrant?

A refugee is forced to flee their home country against their will and seeks protection in another country. A migrant chooses to leave their country, often to work or for other personal reasons, such as joining family members. The distinction determines their legal rights.

Who decides whether someone is a refugee?

Officials in the receiving country, in some cases the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), carefully consider someone’s refugee claim and decide whether to recognize them as refugee.

What is the difference between a refugee, an asylum seeker, and an internally displaced person?

In general, refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are all forcibly displaced for the same reasons: armed conflict, generalized violence, or persecution. The difference between them is that an IDP seeks safety elsewhere in their home country—this includes people forced from their homes because of natural or human-made disasters. An asylum seeker has asked for protection in another country and is awaiting a decision on this claim. Refugees seek safety in another country and have a well-founded fear of being persecuted on one of the protected grounds, whether or not they have been recognized yet as such. It is crucial that asylum seekers are protected from forcible return until officials can determine who among them is a refugee.

How many refugees are there globally? 

According to UNHCR, currently close to 60 million people are forcibly displaced globally. Of this number, 20 million have fled their home countries to seek refuge abroad and 40 million are internally displaced within their country of origin.

Which laws protect refugees?

Refugees are protected by several international laws, the main being the 1951 Geneva Convention which was established in the aftermath of the World War II. All countries that have ratified this convention are obliged to protect refugees fleeing persecution. Its 1967 Protocol gave the Convention universal scope beyond European refugees from World War II.

Are refugee children protected or treated differently than adults?

Yes, refugee and asylum-seeking children, especially unaccompanied children, are recognized as having particular vulnerabilities. As a rule, children should not be detained and decisions about their asylum claims should include an assessment of what would be in their best interest. Children with refugee parents are normally treated as refugees on the principle of family unity.

What are state obligations for refugees?

All countries, whether or not they have signed the 1951 Geneva Convention, are obliged to respect the customary international law principle of non-refoulement—the obligation of states not to return (refouler) a person to a country where he or she is at risk of being subjected to persecution, torture, or other cruel or inhuman treatment.

Which countries are affected most by the current migration crisis?

Developing countries host 80% of the world’s refugees. Turkey currently hosts the largest number of refugees, more than 2 million. Pakistan and Iran host about 2.5 million Afghan refugees between them. Lebanon hosts more than a million Syrian refugees, about one in every five people in the country. Jordan hosts almost 600,000. Other top refugee hosting countries are Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. 

What is refugee resettlement?

Refugee resettlement is a legal pathway that enables countries outside the region of a refugee flow to choose and admit certain refugees from countries where they first arrived. Resettlement has only been available to less than 1% of the world’s refugees.

Who qualifies for resettlement?

Each country that opts to resettle refugees has the discretion to establish its own criteria for refugee admission, sometimes based on family and other connections to that country. UNHCR generally prioritizes resettlement referrals based on vulnerability criteria, such as women and girls at risk, unaccompanied and separated children, people with disabilities and health needs, survivors of torture, and refugees with protection needs, such as those who might experience discrimination and severe hardship in the country of first asylum or who are at risk of forced return to their home country.

How many refugees have been resettled?

Only 1% of refugees will ever be resettled to a third country. There are close to 26 million refugees worldwide. The needs for resettlement are far in excess of the number of places that are being offered. The United States, Canada, Australia and Nordic countries resettle the largest number of refugees.

How are refugees screened for security?

The immigration and security arms of most resettlement countries conduct strict security screenings before admitting refugees. Screening methods vary by country, and usually involve face-to-face interviews and extensive background checks that utilize biodata (name, address, date of birth, place of birth, etc.) and biometrics (iris scans and fingerprints). Health exams, cultural orientation, and other pre-departure steps are normally also part of the resettlement process.

Many of our students have been born and raised in the refugee camps in Kenya. Like 99% of all refugees it is unlikely they will be resettled. However, we at RIS feel it is crucial to understand the resettlement process as we strive to make the world a more welcoming place for all refugees.