Glossary

Migration Defined Terminology

Precise language is central to effective migration policy. Legal categories determine who qualifies for protection, how governments allocate resources, and how the public interprets movement. The field includes terms rooted firmly in international law, alongside concepts that remain intentionally flexible. Understanding the distinctions among these categories is essential and are defined in the context of usage for this report. These distinctions shape legal rights, determine procedural pathways, and influence public debate. Using precise terminology where definitions exist, acknowledging flexibility where they do not, and grounding discussions in international human rights standards creates the clarity needed for effective and durable migration governance. Included in this report is a glossary of terminology as utilized in our writing.

Refugees are defined in the 1951 Convention as individuals with a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. They must be outside their country of origin and unable or unwilling to seek protection from their government. The 1967 Protocol removed earlier geographic and temporal limits, making the framework globally applicable. Today, the principle of non-refoulement anchors refugee protection by prohibiting return to places where individuals face serious harm.

Asylum seekers are individuals requesting international protection, and the designation applies until authorities adjudicate the claim. This phase determines whether the individual will be recognized as a refugee or deemed ineligible. The right to seek asylum is established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and asylum seekers benefit from non-refoulement during the determination process.

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) flee for many of the same reasons as refugees but remain within their country’s borders. The Guiding Principles (not legally binding) on Internal Displacement describe IDPs as individuals forced to leave their homes because of conflict, violence, human rights violations, or disasters who have not crossed an international boundary (UNHCR, 1998). They stay under the jurisdiction of their own government and retain all rights as citizens or residents.

Stateless persons are defined in the 1954 Convention as individuals not recognized as a national by any state under the operation of its law. This condition, known as de jure statelessness, affects millions worldwide. Statelessness can intersect with other categories: people may simultaneously be refugees, asylum seekers, or IDPs, demonstrating the complex overlap among displacement and protection regimes.

The term migrant no single definition in international law. The International Organization for Migration’s Glossary (2019) describes a migrant as any person who moves away from their place of residence, either within a country or across borders, temporarily or permanently, for a wide range of reasons. This definition is intentionally broad and does not create a legal category. Some institutions include refugees under the umbrella of “migrants,” while others maintain strict conceptual separation to preserve the legal protections associated with refugee status.