Okuzeka
Immigration & Visas vocabulary · Asylum & Refugees

Persecution

Meaning in immigration & visas, with examples

/ˌpɜːrsɪˈkjuːʃən/nounCommon term

In immigration & visas, persecution means: Serious harm or cruel, unfair treatment that a person suffers or fears because of who they are or what they believe.

In Turkish: zulüm, zulme uğrama, baskı

How it is used

A key word in refugee law. The Refugee Convention lists five grounds: race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group and political opinion. Lawyers talk about a well-founded fear of persecution. The verb is persecute.

Example sentences

  1. The claim was based on a fear of persecution because of her political opinions.

  2. The officer must decide whether the applicant faces a real risk of persecution.

Common collocations

  • fear of persecution
  • well-founded fear of persecution
  • risk of persecution
  • flee persecution
  • religious persecution
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • claim asylumTo formally ask a country's authorities for protection because you fear serious harm if you return to your own country.

More terms: Asylum & Refugees

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