Part 1: Who Is a Refugee? Clearing Up Misconceptions

"no one leaves home unless 

home is the mouth of a shark 

you only run for the border 

when you see the whole city running as well" 

An excerpt from Home by Warsan Shire 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_XKy5g9rX8

Full reading here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_XKy5g9rX8&t=13s 

It only takes a few lines of this poem to feel the gravity of what it means to flee. And yet, when the word refugee appears in the news, it doesn’t always carry that same gravity. In

fact, it’s often misused or misunderstood. 

If you’re familiar with the news, you’ve likely heard the terms: migrant, refugee, and asylum seeker used almost interchangeably. Sometimes headlines paint refugees as a ‘crisis’ or a threat. Other times, the focus is on boats crossing the Mediterranean, as if that’s the only story to tell. All of this makes it hard to understand who a refugee actually is.  

What is a refugee? 

Under international law, the 1951 Refugee Convention defines a refugee as someone who has fled across an international border due to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

In plain terms, a refugee is someone who has fled across an international border because their life is at risk and they cannot safely return. 

“69% of all refugees and other people in need of international protection come from just five countries: Afghanistan, Syria, Venezuela, Ukraine, and South Sudan” (USA for UNHCR). 

Refugee ≠ Migrant ≠ Asylum Seeker

Here’s where much of the confusion comes in. Not everyone who moves across a border is a refugee. Here’s a simple guide: 

• Refugees → People forced to flee their country due to persecution or conflict and cannot safely return home. 

• Asylum Seekers → People who have asked for protection in another country and are waiting for a decision on their refugee status (which will lead to official legal protection and material assistance) 

• Migrants → People who move (voluntarily) for reasons like work, education, or family

• Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) → People who flee their homes but remain within their own country and cannot safely return often due to civil war, persecution, or disasters. 

These distinctions aren’t just semantics, they determine the type of protection a person can receive. 

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Practical Takeaway:

Next time you hear someone confuse “refugee,” “migrant,” or “asylum seeker,” you now have the tools to gently clarify. You can remind them. Seeking asylum is a right. Refugees are people seeking safety, just as any of us would if home became the mouth of a shark.

Let’s Talk: Conversation Starters

To help shift conversations toward compassion rather than debate, check out this infographic with prompts you can use when talking with someone who might not agree with you about refugees and the right to asylum. The goal isn’t to win a debate, but to invite reflection and encourage a compassionate tone.

Excerpt from Home by Warsan Shire