Learn More

Below is a series of resources to build your own knowledge about Refugees, Migrant and Asylum Seekers.

1. Remember the terms

Here at RMC, we work a lot with refugees, asylum seekers and migrants of many kinds. These terms can get confusing and often cross over, so we thought we would help share some ways to find out more about the people we work with.

Economic migrant

Someone who leaves his or her country of origin purely for financial and/or economic reasons. Economic migrants choose to move in order to find a better life and they do not flee because of persecution. Therefore they do not fall within the criteria for refugee status and are not entitled to receive international protection.

Refugee

A person who has fled their country of origin and is unable or unwilling to return because of a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

Asylum Seeker

An individual who is seeking international protection. In countries with individualised procedures, an asylum seeker is someone whose claim has not yet been finally decided on by the country in which he or she has submitted it. Not every asylum seeker will ultimately be recognised as a refugee, but every refugee is initially an asylum seeker.

See more about these terms and what it means for people:

What does this all actually look like?

All of this affects real people with real lives. Whether you have been in the UK for many years, or just a short time, it can have an impact. Below is a powerful conversation between two people – Owen, 45, a Jamaican born immigrant who came to the UK when he was four years old, sits down with Mo, 22, a Syrian refugee who came to the UK after fleeing ISIS in his home country.