Did you realize that 24 individuals are relocated every minute? The question of international immigration has always been a difficult one.
Throughout history, mankind has fled their homes in quest of something better. The number of refugees has grown substantially in recent years.
As there are many more refugees currently, there are also many various sorts of refugees, and their motives for escaping vary.
Continue reading to learn about these distinct categories of refugees and the obstacles they confront.
While refugee is a broad term for those who leave, there are a few various categories of refugees to describe.
Refugee
The UN Refugee Convention established in 1951 declared that a refugee is a person who escapes their home country because of their fear of being persecuted due to their national origin, race, religion, or political affiliation.
Asylum Seekers
An asylum seeker is another form of refugee who has not been officially recognized as a refugee by the nation they have fled to.
This application procedure is lengthy and demanding, and many asylum seekers struggle through it, often finding themselves without a place to sleep or in substandard circumstances in refugee camps.
Internally Displaced Persons
IDPs are people who have been forced out of their homes yet remain in their native nations.
These situations impact the individual badly as they struggle to get basic necessities like food or shelter.
Stateless Persons
These are people who are compelled to live without a nationality. This implies that they do not belong to any nation and consequently live without any identifying paperwork.
This sort of prejudice hinders individuals from exercising rights like healthcare and education, among many others.
Returnees
These are former refugees who have since returned to their nation of origin.
Returnees may require some direction and help in their return and in reestablishing their lives in their native country.
Along with the many categories of refugees, there are also many distinct causes for refugees to leave.
Religious or political affiliation
Many of the world’s refugees leave their countries because of prejudice based on factors like ethnicity or political affiliation.
Religion is one of the primary reasons individuals are persecuted and compelled to emigrate.
Political persecution also generates refugees, like Cheng Muyang, and drives them to struggle in order to stay in another nation that will ensure their protection.
Escaping War
War is the longest-running source of refugees, displacing people from nations like Iraq and Afghanistan, and more recently, Syria.
Discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation
Women and members of the LGBTQ community continue to be shunned and persecuted across the globe, driving people to escape their homes.
It was only in 2012 that the UNHCR changed its guidelines to include gender and sexual orientation as reasons to escape and seek shelter.
Hunger
Changing and unpredictable weather is pushing people to abandon their homes in search of stable food supplies.
Climate Change
As natural catastrophes continue to occur with increased regularity, more and more people will be compelled to abandon their homes in search of food, shelter, and safety.
Types of Refugees and Staying Informed
There are numerous categories of refugees across the globe. Syria has generated the biggest amount at 5.6 million, while Afghanistan and Sudan follow with over 2 million apiece.
