What are the different types of refugees?

Answer 1

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, a refugee is "someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence."

Other types of refugees could include:

• Internationally displaced person: a person who has been forced to flee his or her home for the same reason as a refugee, but remains in his or her own country and has not crossed an international border.
• Asylum-seeker: 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.

Refugee should not be confused with economic migrants. "An economic migrant normally leaves a country voluntarily to seek a better life. Should he or she decide to return home, they would continue to receive the protection of his or her government. Refugees flee because of the threat of persecution and cannot return safely to their homes."

Source: UN Refugee Agency. See related links in the expert answer above.

Answer 2

There may be more, but some types of refugees are:

War

Social

Religious

Political

Racial

Social group affiliation

Those in fear of persecution

More Information:

Definitions of "refugee" vary, but most agree that a refugee is someone who flees their country in search of refuge, often due to war, religious persecution or political persecution.

The United Nations' definition of refugee is "Any person who: owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country"

International refugee law defines a refugee as someone who seeks refuge in a foreign country because of war and violence, or out of fear of persecution.

The United States recognizes persecution "on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group" as grounds for seeking asylum.

Internally displaced persons are similar to refugees, but they are people who have not crossed any international borders (are displaced within their own countries).

Answer 3

Sources and related links for the community answer below:

http://www.unrefugees.org/what-is-a-refugee/
http://www.unrefugees.org/2015/08/refugee-or-migrant-which-is-right/
http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c125.html