Updated: September 24, 2015
In recent months, some 477,000 people have attempted the dangerous journey to Europe to escape from brutal wars and sectarian conflicts in places like Syria, Afghanistan and regions in Africa.
But there’s been confusion and debate over the use of the words migrant and refugee to describe the plight of those on the run. As Europe struggles to cope with the greatest number of displaced people since the Second World War, here’s a closer look at the distinct differences between a migrant and refugee.
What is a migrant?
Migrants are people who make a conscious decision to leave their countries to seek a better life elsewhere. They do not emigrate because of a direct threat of persecution or death, but rather seek to work or study abroad, or to reunite with family. Before they leave their countries, migrants are able to research their destinations, explore employment opportunities, and study the language of the country where they plan to live. Migrants can plan their travel in advance and pack belongings; most importantly, they are free to return home whenever they choose.
What is a refugee?
Refugees are forced to flee their homes and seek safety in another country, often times without warning. Refugees must travel light with very few belongings or nothing at all, for their trek to safety is often fraught with danger and great hardship. Many risk their lives crossing borders. They leave family and friends without saying goodbye and are unable to return home until conditions in their native lands improve. Refugees receive protection under international laws and conventions and lifesaving support from aid agencies, including the International Rescue Committee. Currently, there are nearly 60 million men, women and children escaping war, persecution and political turbulence.
Who are the people crossing into Europe?
The majority of people taking the sea route to Europe are refugees. Some 347,400 have landed in Greece this year, most crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey in overcrowded rubber dinghies. More than 80 percent have fled the bloody war in Syria, now in its fifth year; 14 percent are from Afghanistan. Many of the refugees who reach Greece continue to travel through Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary to other destinations in Europe, a route that makes them vulnerable to human traffickers, gangs and corrupt officials.
“Countries neighboring conflict areas are reaching their maximum capacity to absorb any more refugees,” says Kirk Day, the IRC’s emergency field director in Greece. “Without legal alternative routes for refugees to enter European countries, people fleeing conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere have taken matters into their own hands.”
In response to the building European refugee crisis, the IRC has redirected some of its resources and personnel. “The IRC is built to respond to emergencies in some of the poorest and most conflict-ridden countries,” says Day. “That we have had to deploy an emergency response team to Europe is a sad commentary on the state of affairs in the region.”
Learn more
Updates from IRC aid workers responding to the refugee crisis in Europe
Frequently asked questions about refugees
