Refugee Definition - What it is, Meaning and Concept

The first thing to do to fully enter the definition of the term refugee is to know its etymological origin.In this sense, it should be noted that it derives from Latin, specifically “refuge”, which came to be defined as the place Protected by a person when he was running away.

Refugee is a concept that is associated with the verb take refuge (shelter, shelter).It is used with reference to the individual who, due to a political persecution, a warlike conflict or other situation that puts his life at risk, must request refuge abroad.

The refugee, therefore, is forced to leave from his country since, if he remained there, he would be in danger.Thus, another nation welcomes you in your territory and provides protection.

A person asks for refuge or asylum abroad when the State of the country where he lives is no longer in a position to guarantee his security and the minimum essential conditions for life.A civil war, an international confrontation, a catastrophe of nature and various religious, ethnic or racial reasons are some of the reasons that can lead an individual to take refuge in another country.

The treatment of refugees in the host country varies according to the laws of each nation.It should be noted, however, that international conventions and protocols oblige countries to grant asylum and not forcibly send refugees back to their places of origin.The right to shelter, on the other hand, is part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights .

However, different organizations and organizations at international level have come to propose, as stated by UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), that refugees have a series of rights, including: with the right of asylum, in all the necessary conditions of security.-In the country they arrive to, it is vital that they have the same rights as the rest of foreigners who are legal residents in that one.-They are considered to have basic civil rights such as freedom of thought or movement, among others.-It is also recognized, in the case that they have young children, the right to have them properly educated.-They have the right to medical care.-They have the right to work, in the case of adult refugees.

In recent decades, most of the refugees escaped from countries like Afghanistan , Iraq , Syria , Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo .It should be noted that the UN has an agency called UNHCR, which is dedicated to helping refugees during their stay in the host territory.

Although the terms are often confused, it is necessary to know that there is a clear difference between a refugee and an economic migrant.In particular, what most clearly distinguishes them is that the latter has decided to leave their country of their own accord and with the clear objective of seeking a better life.However, the refugee is in need of abandoning his land for his safety.