Okuzeka
International Relations & Diplomacy vocabulary · International Law & Human Rights

Refugee

Meaning in international relations & diplomacy, with examples

/ˌrefjuˈdʒiː/nounCore term

In international relations & diplomacy, refugee means: A person who is outside their own country and cannot return because of a well-founded fear of persecution; in wider use, also someone who has fled war or violence.

In Turkish: mülteci

How it is used

The legal definition comes from the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. A core principle is 'non-refoulement': refugees must not be sent back to a place where they face serious danger. The UN agency is UNHCR. Refugees differ from migrants and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Example sentences

  1. The camp now hosts more than 20,000 refugees.

  2. She was granted refugee status after a two-year process.

  3. The conference discussed how to share responsibility for refugees more fairly.

Common collocations

  • refugee status
  • refugee camp
  • Refugee Convention
  • host refugees
  • refugee crisis
  • asylumProtection given by a state to a person who has fled their own country because of danger or persecution.
  • human rightsThe basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person, such as the right to life, freedom of expression and a fair trial, which states are expected to respect and protect.
  • international lawThe body of rules that governs relations between states and other international actors, based mainly on treaties, custom and general principles of law.
  • NGOShort for non-governmental organisation: a non-profit group that is independent of governments and works on issues such as human rights, aid, development or the environment.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: International Law & Human Rights

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: