refugee
Sign in to saveA refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as a result of who they are, what they believe in or say, or because of armed conflict, violence or serious public disorder." Such a person may be called an asylum seeker until granted refugee status by a contracting state or by the UNHCR if they formally make a claim for asylum.
AI overview
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee their home country to escape persecution based on their identity or beliefs, or due to armed conflict and violence, and cannot safely return. Understanding refugees matters because it involves recognizing the circumstances that drive people from their homes and the international legal protections designed to help those in such desperate situations.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Ethnic group.group
- Refugees in 2024
- Ethnic group.population
- 122.6 million forcibly displaced, including: 72.1 million internally displaced 8 million seeking asylum 43.7 million refugees, of which: 32 million are under the mandate of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 6 million are Palestinians under UNRWA's mandate, and 5.8 million are others in need of international protection
- Ethnic group.region1
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Ethnic group.pop1
- 7.0 million
- Ethnic group.region2
- Europe and North Asia
- Ethnic group.pop2
- 12.4 million
- Ethnic group.region3
- Asia and the Pacific
- Ethnic group.pop3
- 6.8 million
- Ethnic group.region4
- Middle East and North Africa
- Ethnic group.pop4
- 2.4 million
- Ethnic group.region5
- Americas
Article
51 sectionsContents
- Etymology and usage
- Definitions
- Related terms
- History
- League of Nations
- Rise of Nazism, 1933 to 1944
- Post-World War II population transfers
- Refugee studies
- UN Refugee Agencies
- UNHCR
- UNRWA
- Acute and temporary protection
- Refugee camp
- Urban refugee
- Durable solutions
- Integration and naturalisation
- Voluntary return
- Third country resettlement
- Internally displaced person
- Refugee status
- Seeking asylum
- Refugee status determination
- Refugee rights
- Right of return
- Right to non-refoulement
- Right to family reunification
- Right to travel
- Restriction of onward movement
- World Refugee Day
- Issues
- Protracted displacement
- Medical problems
- PTSD
- Malaria
- Access to healthcare services
- Exploitation
- Crime
- International relations
- Representation
- Employment
- Education
- Obstacles
- Overcoming obstacles
- Cultural differences
- Refugee crisis
- See also
- Footnotes
- References
- Works cited
- Further reading
- External links
A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as a result of who they are, what they believe in or say, or because of armed conflict, violence or serious public disorder." Such a person may be called an asylum seeker until granted refugee status by a contracting state or by the UNHCR if they formally make a claim for asylum.
Internally Displaced People (IDPs) are often called refugees, but they are distinguished from refugees because they have not crossed an international border, although their reasons for leaving their home may be the same as those of refugees.