What Is A Refugee?

Let’s get technical for a second — international law defines a “refugee” as someone who has been forced to flee their home country because of persecution, war, or violence, and who has a well-founded fear of being persecuted due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. This definition comes from the 1951 Refugee Convention, a key international treaty that outlines the rights of refugees and the legal obligations of countries to protect them.

But beyond the legal language, a refugee is a person—often a mother, father, or child—who had no choice but to leave everything familiar behind in order to survive. Refugees are not migrating by choice; they are escaping situations where staying reasonably meant death, imprisonment, or the loss of their children’s future. Forces that are pushing people from their homes are probably the most significant difference between a refugee and an immigrant, who many choose to leave their country of origin for many reasons. 

A refugee is also different from an asylum seeker. Refugees must flee their country first, then often register with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) once they’ve reached a transit country (“host country”) or refugee camp. From there, they can be considered for resettlement—a selective and limited process in which a small number of the world’s most vulnerable refugees are placed in safer “third” countries. This process typically takes years. It is not uncommon for people to be born, marry, raise families, and even pass away in camps or “host countries” while still waiting for resettlement.

Asylum seekers, on the other hand, are people who fled war or persecution and managed to travel directly to a country where they can apply to stay or potentially gain citizenship. 

At Breathe Life, we work with Rohingya people who have fled systemic violence in Myanmar. Though they’ve found temporary safety in Malaysia, they continue to live in limbo, frequently without legal status or protection (though some have successfully registered with UNHCR). We focus on giving Rohingya mothers and children the support they need to begin again with dignity—because every refugee deserves the chance to heal, grow, and build a future.