Refugees: Frequently Asked Questions

Who are refugees?

A refugee is a person who is outside of the country of his or her nationality and who is unable to return because of persecution or fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Often war, fear of war, or changes in political systems creates refugees.

-Geneva Convention definition

Who are asylum seekers?

An asylum seeker is a person from another country who is in the United States or Canada who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of nationality, or to seek the protection of that country because of persecution or fear of persecution.

-Geneva Convention definition

What is the difference between a refugee and an asylum seeker?

The difference between a refugee and an asylum seeker is that a refugee is a person who applies for protection from outside of the intended country of settlement. An asylum seeker is a person who applies for protection once they are already in the U.S. or Canada.

What happens to refugee claims?

The refugee process is fairly similar in Canada and the U.S. Each year, a ceiling number is established for how many refugees will be accepted from countries designated as refugee producing countries. This is determined by the Department of State in the U.S. and by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration in Canada.

Each refugee or asylum seeker must prove that they have a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, membership in a social group, or political opinion. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees also identifies people in immediate danger (for example, former political prisoners) for resettlement to other countries as refugees.

Where do refugees come from?

You can find up-to-date refugee facts according to a number of groupings in the annual World Refugee Survey, found on www.refugees.org.