Refugee

A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person who has to leave their own country and find safety in another country. They cannot go back home because they fear harm because of who they are, what they believe or say, or because of war, violence, or big problems in their country. Such a person may be called an asylum seeker until they are given special help and protection called refugee status by a country or the UNHCR.

Internally Displaced People (IDPs) are sometimes also called refugees, but they are different because they have not crossed into another country. Even though they leave their homes for similar reasons as refugees, they are still inside their own country.

Etymology and usage

The word "refugee" comes from the Old French word refuge, meaning a hiding place. It is related to the Latin word fugere, which means "to flee". The word first described French Protestant Huguenots who needed safety. It entered the English language when many Huguenots moved to Britain. By 1916, "refugee" came to mean people who had to leave their homes because of war.

Definitions

The first modern definition of a refugee was created in 1921 by the League of Nations. After World War II, the United Nations made a new rule in 1951 to help people who had to leave their homes because they were afraid. This rule says a refugee is someone who has a good reason to fear harm because of their race, religion, where they are from, the group they belong to, or their political beliefs. They are outside their home country and cannot safely go back.

Countries sometimes protect people who must leave because of war, natural disasters, or serious problems, even if they do not fit the exact rules. Special rules exist in different parts of the world to help these people, like in Africa and Latin America. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees also helps people who cannot return home because of big dangers or problems. In Europe, there are extra ways to protect people who flee from war or very bad situations.

Related terms

Refugee resettlement is a way to help people move to a new country. It includes choosing who can go, helping them travel, and getting them settled.

Refugee relocation is when people move to another country without a planned process.

Refugee settlement is about helping newcomers adjust to life in a new place. This includes finding housing, getting access to school and doctors, and making sure they have the right papers.

Refugee integration is a longer process where someone becomes a part of their new community. This includes learning the language and culture, feeling safe, making friends, and getting things like jobs and a home.

Refugee workforce integration is about helping refugees find jobs that match their skills.

History

See also: Right of asylum and Sanctuary

The idea that someone seeking safety in a holy place should not be harmed goes back a long way. Early laws let people find protection in churches. Over time, many people became refugees because of wars, conflicts, or unfair treatment.

The word "refugee" is often used for people who match the definition made in 1951. Many groups became refugees throughout history. For example, after laws changed in France, many people called Huguenots moved to other countries. Wars and conflicts made many people leave their homes, especially in Europe.

League of Nations

In 1921, an international group was formed to help refugees. They helped people who fled after a big change in Russia. Later, they also helped people from places like Armenia and Greece.

In the 1930s, a special document called the Nansen passport was created to help refugees travel. This helped many people during hard times.

Rise of Nazism, 1933 to 1944

When a strict government came to power in Germany, many people had to leave. This caused many refugees. Special groups were formed to help these people find safety.

By the end of World War II, millions of people were refugees across Europe. Groups were formed to help them return home or find new places to live.

Post-World War II population transfers

After World War II, many people had to move from their homes because of border changes and conflicts. This included large groups of people from Germany and other places.

During this time, many people were moved from one country to another. This happened in many parts of Europe.

At the end of the war, there were millions of people who had to leave their homes. Groups were formed to help them find safety and new homes.

Refugee studies

After World War II, people started to learn why some people must leave their homes and what happens to them. This area of learning is called refugee studies. Many groups began to study this topic. In 1988, a journal called the Journal of Refugee Studies started, helping people share ideas about refugees.

Some experts say it is hard to study refugees because there is no perfect way to define who a refugee is. They also say that much of the research looks too much at rules instead of deeper ideas. To help with this, scholars connect refugee studies with other areas of learning, using real stories of refugees.

UN Refugee Agencies

Main articles: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and United Nations Relief & Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

UNHCR

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was started in 1950 to help people who must leave their homes because of danger. It helps them find safety in other countries and supports them until they can return home or start a new life elsewhere. Most refugees receive help from UNHCR, except for Palestinian refugees, who receive help from a different group called UNRWA.

UNRWA

UNRWA was started in 1948 to help Palestinian refugees. These are people whose homes were in Palestine between 1946 and 1948 but had to leave because of conflict. Today, there are millions of Palestinian refugees, and their numbers keep growing because UNRWA counts the original refugees and their children and grandchildren. UNRWA helps them with schools, health care, and finding homes. It works in places like Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon.

Acute and temporary protection

Refugee camp

A refugee camp is a place where governments or groups like the Red Cross build temporary homes for people who must leave their countries. These camps provide food, medical help, and schooling while people wait to return home. Sometimes people stay in camps for many years.

Urban refugee

Main article: Urban refugee

Many refugees do not live in camps. More than half live in cities. For example, there are about 60,000 Iraqi refugees in Damascus, Syria, and about 30,000 Sudanese refugees in Cairo, Egypt.

Durable solutions

The UNHCR aims to help refugees stay safe not just for a short time but forever. There are three ways to do this:

Integration and naturalisation

Main article: Naturalization

One way is for refugees to stay in the country where they are safe and become citizens there. This is called integration. Some countries have allowed many refugees to become citizens. For example, Tanzania gave citizenship to 162,000 refugees from Burundi in 2014.

Voluntary return

Main article: Voluntary return

Another way is for refugees to return home if it is safe. This is called voluntary return. Many refugees have returned home from places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, and Liberia. The UNHCR helps refugees who want to return home.

Third country resettlement

Main article: Third country resettlement

The third way is for refugees to move to a new country that agrees to let them live there safely. This is called third country resettlement. Sometimes this is the only way for refugees to find a safe home.

Internally displaced person

Main article: Internally displaced person

UNHCR also helps people who must leave their homes but stay in their own country. These people are called internally displaced persons (IDPs). They are not refugees because they haven’t left their country, but they still need help.

Refugee status

In the United States, a refugee is defined under the Immigration and Nationality Act. In other countries, the word "refugee" can mean different things. It might talk about anyone who had to leave their home country because of danger. Or it might mean someone who has been given special help and protection in another country. The most formal kind of help is called Convention refugee status. This is only given to people who meet the rules set in the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol.

To get refugee status, a person must ask for help, called applying for asylum. While waiting for an answer, they are known as an asylum seeker. Even if someone has a right to refugee status, they might not apply for asylum, or they might not be allowed to apply in the country they fled to.

Once someone is given refugee status, they get certain rights based on the 1951 Refugee Convention. However, not every country has agreed to follow this convention, and some countries do not have special rules for people asking for help.

Seeking asylum

Main article: Asylum seeker

An asylum seeker is someone who has left their home and asked another country for protection and the right to stay there. They are waiting for a decision on their request. An asylum seeker might ask for Convention refugee status or other kinds of help. The kind of help they get depends on why they had to leave their home. After a decision is made, the asylum seeker either gets refugee status or another kind of help and can stay, or they are told they must leave. Only when the country, territory, or the UNHCR says they need protection does the asylum seeker officially become a refugee. This comes with certain rights and duties based on the laws of the country where they are.

Quota refugees do not need to ask for asylum when they arrive in a new country because they were already checked by the UNHCR in the first country they went to, and this is usually accepted by the new country.

Refugee status determination

To get refugee status, a person must go through a Refugee Status Determination (RSD) process. This is done by the government of the country where they asked for help or by the UNHCR. The process follows international, regional or national laws. RSD can be done for one person at a time or for groups of people. Which way is used often depends on how many people are arriving.

There is no one specific way to do RSD (except following the 1951 Refugee Convention), and it depends on how well the country's system works and the situation with the people arriving. Because there are no fixed rules, sometimes politics can affect who gets help. Different countries can also understand the rules of the 1951 Refugee Convention in different ways.

In 2013, the UNHCR helped more than 50 countries do RSD and worked with another 20 countries, making it the second largest RSD group in the world. The UNHCR uses guidelines in the Handbook and Guidelines on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status to decide who should get refugee status.

Refugee rights

Refugee rights are important protections for people who have to leave their homes because of danger or conflict. If a country agrees to the 1951 Refugee Convention, refugees there have the right to employment. Some key rights for refugees are:

Right of return

Main article: Right of return

Even after a conflict ends, it is hard for refugees to go home. The UN Pinheiro Principles say that people should be able to return home and get their property back. But this is complicated because every situation is different. Sometimes people never had property, or cannot access it, or ownership is unclear. Refugees who move to a third country might lose their right to stay there if they return home.

Right to non-refoulement

Main article: Non-refoulement

Non-refoulement means that no one should be sent back to a place where they would be in danger. This is a key rule in international refugee law, written in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. It means that countries must not send refugees back to places where they could be harmed. This rule applies to all migrants, no matter their status. The right to non-refoulement also stops countries from sending refugees to another country that might send them to a dangerous place. This rule is very important to protect refugees.

Right to family reunification

Main article: Family reunification

Family reunification lets families who have been separated come back together. If one family member has the right to live in a country permanently, they can apply to bring other family members to join them. If the application is approved, the rest of the family can move to that country too.

Right to travel

Countries that signed the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees must give refugees special travel papers called "Convention Travel Documents." These papers can be used to travel, but not back to the country the refugee came from.

Restriction of onward movement

Once refugees find a safe place, they are usually encouraged to stay there and not travel to another country for protection. If they do move to another country, this is called "irregular movement" by the UNHCR (see also asylum shopping). Support in the second country might be less, and they could be sent back to the first country.

World Refugee Day

World Refugee Day is celebrated every year on June 20th. This special day began in 2000, started by the United Nations. Before that, some African countries already celebrated this date as "African Refugee Day."

In the United Kingdom, World Refugee Day is part of Refugee Week. This is a big celebration across the country that helps people learn about and appreciate the cultures of refugees. There are many fun events like music, dance, and theatre.

In the Roman Catholic Church, there is another special day called the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. This is celebrated in January each year. It began in 1914 by Pope Pius X.

Issues

Protracted displacement

Many refugees stay away from home for a long time. Some have been away for over three years, and others for more than ten years. This can make it hard for them to keep their job skills up to date.

Medical problems

PTSD

Refugees can face mental health problems, such as anxiety and trouble sleeping, especially after facing hard times. These problems can make daily life difficult, particularly in a new place.

Many studies show that refugees can have mental health issues. For example, some children and women have been found to struggle with their mental health after difficult experiences.

Malaria

Refugees can get sick because they lack protection from diseases in new places. Living in crowded camps can spread diseases easily. For example, being near rivers can increase the risk of malaria, especially for children.

Access to healthcare services

Getting medical care can be hard for refugees because of things like language differences, cost, and distance. Each country has its own challenges in helping refugees get healthcare.

Exploitation

Refugees can sometimes be treated badly by people they meet, including officials, locals, or even peacekeepers.

Crime

There is little evidence that refugees commit crimes more often than others. Most refugees are just trying to find safety and a new beginning.

International relations

Refugees can sometimes show problems in how countries work together and support each other.

Representation

When people talk about refugees, they often focus only on their struggles. This can make it hard for refugees to share their own stories and feelings. It's important to listen to refugees and understand their unique journeys.

Employment

See also: Refugee employment

Helping refugees find jobs is important for them to feel at home in new countries. Many refugees have a hard time finding work that uses their skills. They often face challenges, like not having the right papers or not being allowed certain jobs. These problems can come from government rules, company policies, and people's attitudes. This makes it difficult for refugees to get good jobs and feel secure.

Education

See also: Refugee children

Refugee children come from many different places and need a new home for many reasons. Wars and conflicts around the world have caused more children to become refugees. These children have often faced hard times, which can make it difficult for them to learn and adjust to new schools.

Schools, teachers, and classmates can help refugee children feel welcome and adjust to their new lives. However, there are challenges. Refugee children might struggle because of past experiences, language barriers, or feeling different from others. Teachers may find it challenging to support these students, especially when they have different needs and backgrounds. With the right support, refugee children can succeed and feel part of their new school community.

Refugee crisis

See also: List of countries by refugee population

A refugee crisis happens when many people must leave their homes because of danger, like war or big problems in their country. These people may become refugees if they go to another country, or they may stay in their own country but still cannot go home safely.

In 2015, many refugees came from countries like Syria, Afghanistan, and South Sudan. Most refugees live in developing countries, and Turkey hosted the most people. In 2022, Russia's invasion of Ukraine caused many people to flee to nearby countries.

Children were a big part of refugees in 2015, and many traveled alone or were separated from their families. Most refugees try to go to countries close to where they came from, especially places that have helped others before.