Refugee
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 122.6 million forcibly displaced including 43.7 million refugees [of which 32 million are under the mandate of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 6 million are Palestinians under UNRWA's and 5.8 million are others in need of international protection] plus 72.1 million internally displaced and 8 million seeking asylum] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 7.0 million |
| Europe and North Asia | 12.4 million |
| Asia and the Pacific | 6.8 million |
| Middle East and North Africa | 2.4 million |
| Americas | 800,000 |
| Legal status of persons |
|---|
| Birthright |
| Nationality |
| Immigration |
| Immigration |
|---|
| General |
| History and law |
|
| Social processes |
| Political Theories |
| Causes |
| Opposition and reform |
A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as a result of who they are, what they believe in or say, or because of armed conflict, violence or serious public disorder." Such a person may be called an asylum seeker until granted refugee status by a contracting state or by the UNHCR if they formally make a claim for asylum.
Internally Displaced People (IDPs) are often called refugees, but they are distinguished from refugees because they have not crossed an international border, although their reasons for leaving their home may be the same as those of refugees.