To help real refugees, be firm with economic migrants

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/06/liberals-harsh-tr…

In the current migration crisis, the terms “migrant”, “refugee” and less commonly “asylum seeker” are used daily to mean one and the same thing. Each term, however, has a distinct meaning that carries different international obligations and consequences. If conflated, it can mean the difference between life and death.

So what are those differences?

Migrant
At its simplest, a migrant is someone who moves from one place to another in order to live in another country for more than a year.

The are many reasons that people become migrants, but those who move to work or seek a better life are generally termed economic migrants.

Refugee
A refugee is a person who has fled armed conflict or persecution and who is recognised as needing of international protection because it is too dangerous for them to return home. They are protected under international law by the 1951 refugee convention, which defines what a refugee is and outlines the basic rights afforded to them.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/28/migrants-refugees-and-asy…

According to the United Nations, refugees “are persons fleeing armed conflict or persecution”.

Migrants “choose to move not because of a direct threat of persecution or death, but mainly to improve their lives by finding work, or in some cases for education, family reunion, or other reasons”.

The distinction is important because international law, including but not limited to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its additional 1967 Protocol, gives states a duty to give refuge to the former but not the latter.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/11883027/What-is-th…