What’s the Difference Between a Refugee and an Asylum Seeker?

Understanding can help you better engage in discussions around immigration.

Immigration policy is at the forefront of today’s political debate — but do most of us have the vocabulary to keep up?

As more and more displaced people continue to seek safety outside their countries of origin (ICYMI: we’re in the middle of a staggering refugee crisis), it’s important to understand the unique experiences and challenges of these various groups.

We’ll start with refugees and asylum seekers.

“The terms are very frequently confused because the process can be extremely confusing,” said Kim Baranowski, associate director of Mount Sinai Human Rights Program. “However, it is important to recognize the obstacles facing individuals and families as they try to navigate the process of seeking protected immigration status.”

Who is a refugee?

In the United States, the terms “refugee” and “asylum seeker” both refer to people who are fleeing their home countries, and are unable or unwilling to return because of a well-founded fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.

The main difference between the two terms lies in where the individual’s claim for international protection has been decided.

A refugee is someone whose plight is legally recognized outside the United States first (usually by the United Nations or a similar entity).

“Refugees are mostly waiting for recognition in refugee camps around the world, and the determination of whether they qualify as refugees and where they will be placed is made by the UN,” immigration lawyer Jennifer Casey said.

Because of this protected status, these individuals are able to resettle in the United States without much further process within the country.

“Refugees are not going through the process within the U.S.A.,” immigration lawyer Jacob Sapochnick said. “They’ve already gone through the screening process abroad.”

In other words, refugees are legally determined as such before they enter the United States.

Fonte: rewire.org

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