Who is a Refugee?

According to the 1951 Refugee Convention (held following WWII) and its 1967 Protocol, a refugee “is someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.”

People of all religions, nationalities, ethnic groups, financial classes, and genders can become refugees.