The United Nations defines a migrant as "someone who has resided in a foreign country for more than one year regardless of the causes of his or her removal, voluntary or involuntary, or the means used, legal or otherwise".
Migrant, emigrant and immigrant?
Migrant, emigrant and immigrant are valid and correct ways of saying the same thing: a person who leaves one place to settle in another.
Migrant: Refers to the person who migrates, to the person who leaves the place where he/she lives and
arrives elsewhere, to settle and make a home there.
Emigrant: Refers to a person who emigrates, a person who moves from the place where he/she has established his/her home (town, city, country), to settle in another place.
Immigrant: Refers to a person who leaves his or her home country and goes to another country to settle there.
However, it is also good to clarify that: In this regard, it should be noted that the noun emigrant focuses on the person who leaves his or her home, while immigrant refers to the same person, but from the perspective of someone who has already arrived at his or her new destination to settle there (Fundéu BBVA).
More broadly, the Dictionary of the Spanish language defines migrant as "who migrates", that is, "who moves from the place where he or she lives to a different one", a general definition that can be used to designate anyone who moves from one place to another.
Migrant is the most general term to refer to any person who leaves the place where he or she lives or arrives at another destination to settle there.
With the migratory flows currently affecting millions of people around the world, questions have arisen in the media as to which word should be used to refer to all of them in a general way.
In this regard, it should be noted that the noun emigrant focuses on the person who leaves home, while immigrant refers to the same person, but from the perspective of the person who has already arrived at his or her new destination to settle there.
More broadly, the Dictionary of the Spanish language defines migrant as 'who migrates', that is, 'who moves from the place where he/she lives to a different one', a general definition that can be used to designate anyone who moves from one place to another.
Differences between migrants and refugees
Refugees are forced to leave their country due to a situation of great violence, such as Syrian refugees. Migrants leave their country voluntarily, although the situation they find themselves in can also be extreme.1 Oct 2018
What are the differences between refugees and migrants?
We say 'refugees' when we refer to people fleeing war or persecution who have crossed an international border. And we say 'migrants' when we refer to people who move for reasons that do not fall under the legal definition of a refugee.
Yes, there is a difference and yes, it is important. The two terms have different meanings and confusing them leads to problems for both populations. Here is why:
Refugees are people fleeing armed conflict or persecution. By the end of 2015, there were 21.3 million worldwide. Often, their situation is so dangerous and intolerable that they cross national borders to seek safety in nearby countries, and thus be recognised internationally as 'refugees', with assistance from states, UNHCR and other organisations. They are recognised precisely because it is too dangerous for them to return home, and they need asylum elsewhere. These are people whose denial of asylum can have deadly consequences.
International law defines and protects refugees. The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, as well as other legal instruments, such as the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, remain the foundation for modern refugee protection. The legal principles they enshrine have permeated countless other international, regional and national laws and practices. The 1951 Convention defines who is a refugee and sets out the basic rights that states must provide to refugees. One of the fundamental principles established in international law is that refugees should not be expelled or returned to situations where their lives and freedom may be threatened.
Refugee protection has many angles. These include protection against refoulement to the dangers from which they have fled; access to fair and efficient asylum procedures; and measures to ensure that their basic human rights are respected, allowing them to live in dignity and safety, while helping them to find a longer-term solution. States have the primary responsibility for this protection. UNHCR therefore works closely with governments, advising and supporting them in whatever they need to implement their responsibilities.
ACCORDING TO AMNESTY.
Terms such as REFUGEE, ASYLUM SEEKER, MIGRANT are used to describe people on the move who have left their country and crossed borders.
The terms migrant and refugee are used synonymously but it is important to distinguish them because of legal differences.
A REFUGEE is a person who has had to flee his or her country because of danger to his or her life or because of violence against him or her in his or her country, so that he or she has to leave it and seek safety and is therefore entitled to international protection.
An asylum seeker is a person who has left his or her country and is seeking protection, but has not yet been legally recognised as a refugee and is awaiting a decision on the granting of asylum.
A MIGRANT PERSON There is no internationally accepted definition of a migrant person. They are those who leave their country
Laws for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers:
- Regardless of how and why they arrive in a country, international law protects the rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, who have the same rights as other people, plus special or specific protections, such as the following:
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 14), which states that, in case of persecution, everyone has the right to seek and enjoy asylum in any country;
- The 1951 UN Refugee Convention (and its 1967 Protocol), which protects refugees from refoulement to countries where they risk persecution;
- The 1990 Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers, which protects migrants and their families;
- Regional legal instruments on refugees (such as the 1969 OAU Convention, the 1984 Cartagena Declaration, the Common European Asylum System and the Dublin Regulation).
