Understanding Migration and Displacement
Original Editor - Naomi O'Reilly
Top Contributors - Naomi O'Reilly, Jess Bell, Kim Jackson, Carin Hunter, Shaimaa Eldib and Tarina van der Stockt
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Definitions[edit | edit source]
Asylum Seeker[edit | edit source]
When people flee their own country and seek sanctuary in another country, they apply for asylum – the right to be recognized as a refugee and receive legal protection and material assistance. An asylum seeker must demonstrate that his or her fear of persecution in his or her home country is well-founded.
Internally Displaced Person[edit | edit source]
An internally displaced person, or IDP, is someone who has been forced to flee their home but never cross an international border.
Refugee[edit | edit source]
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee their country because of persecution, war or violence and is defined by the 1951 Refugee Convention as: “someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.”
