Okuzeka
Immigration & Visas vocabulary · Asylum & Refugees

Asylum seeker

Meaning in immigration & visas, with examples

nounCore term

In immigration & visas, asylum seeker means: A person who has asked for protection in another country and is waiting for the authorities to decide on the claim.

In Turkish: sığınmacı, iltica başvurusu sahibi, uluslararası koruma başvuru sahibi

How it is used

Used in law, news and charity work. Depending on the country, asylum seekers often have limited rights to work or receive support while the claim is decided. If the claim succeeds, the person is granted refugee status or another form of protection.

Example sentences

  1. The centre offers free English classes to asylum seekers.

  2. As an asylum seeker, he had to report to the immigration office every month.

Common collocations

  • asylum seeker
  • support for asylum seekers
  • asylum seeker accommodation
  • rights of asylum seekers
  • asylumProtection that a country gives to a person who has left their own country because they fear serious harm or persecution there.
  • refugeeA person who has left their country because of a well-founded fear of persecution and who needs international protection.
  • claim asylumTo formally ask a country's authorities for protection because you fear serious harm if you return to your own country.
  • refugee statusThe legal recognition, given by a country or by the UN refugee agency, that a person is a refugee and has the rights that come with it.
  • humanitarian protectionPermission to stay given to a person who does not qualify as a refugee but would face a real risk of serious harm, such as torture, if returned.

More terms: Asylum & Refugees

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.