Now, you tell me. What’s the definition of an immigrant, an illegal immigrant a refugee and an asylum seeker

Posted on September 30th, 2009 by admin

By the way, I know the answer. Just interested.
It might help if I said ‘convention’ refugee. The convention being the Geneva Convention.
Clueless is still clueless. Somethings never change. I wouldn’t even visit the USA if someone paid me.

Immigrant — someone who has chosen for various reasons to move from his own country to another. It may not be a permanent arrangement and among the motives is being married to someone settled in that country, taking up employment in that country or retiring to that country using one’s own resources.

Illegal immigrant — someone who has not entered a country legitimately, but has either done so clandestinely or lied to the authorities about his situation. Some economies rely on illegal immigrants for cheap labour. Illegal immigrants may include overstayers — people who remained after being refused leave by the authorities.

Refugee — someone who has been forced to leave his own country by persecution or impossibility of remaining there because of some natural calamity. Given the choice (including the removal of the source of persecution or sorting out the natural calamity) he’d rather go home. The reason for leaving his own country is more significant than the identity of his country of exile, i.e. the primary reason for going weighs more heavily than the choice of country of exile.

Asylum seeker — someone who found it necessary to flee his own country because of conditions there rendered life intolerable for him or members of his family. Such reasons may include persecution or targeting by kidnappers or other evil doers against which the police were powerless. They do not include economic pressure. Here the focus is on the country which has been chosen: he has left his own country with the intention of seeking right of abode in a particular destination. Under the various Conventions, he is supposed to seek refuge in the first ’safe’ country he comes to, but a surprising number arrive in the UK via all manner of other ’safe’ countries. For ’safe’ read ’soft’ (landing place).

9 Responses

  1. Mr Lindsay Lohan Says:

    immigrant = hot chick
    illegal = fat chick
    refugee/asylum = toss up between hot / fat chick
    References :

  2. Ed Says:

    Immigrant – here legally, and gone through official channels in advance.

    Illegal immigrant – not gone through official channels in advance, and not from a country from which citizens may claim asylum.

    Refugee – someone fleeing unrest or war in country of origin with a view to returning.

    Asylum seeker – someone from a country or region experiencing political turmoil, who is asking for leave to stay here indefinitely on the grounds their life would be in danger otherwise.

    Immigrants from other EU nations cannot be deemed illegal and cannot claim asylum.
    References :
    PS everyone – I can tell from the Q, this person is definitely British, so isn’t interested in the USA.

  3. joevette Says:

    Immigrant= a person that moves from place of birth to another country (generally a legal move)
    illegal immigrant= much like an immigrant but they break immigration law and enter another country illegally.
    refugee= A person that is displaced from home by war, natural disaster, or civil uprising.
    asylum seeker- much like a refugee but they generally leave their area of birth due to fear of persecution and attempt to lobby for citizenship else where (often a legal way of entering the US).
    References :

  4. Bunny Says:

    immigrant – someone who has residential permit/visa to live in new country

    illegal immigrant – someone who does not have permission to be resident – ie may have come on holiday visa and stayed, or sneaked in

    Refugee – some one who comes into country because they cannot live in their country anymore and have fled – religious persecution, war, racial prejudice, poverty and don’t want to return to own country

    Asylum seeker – person who is officially recognised be governement of new country as a refugee and allowed to stay for set period of time (some not recognised and so stay as refugee but will be deported)
    References :
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugee
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigrant
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_of_asylum

  5. American Man Says:

    immigrant, = perfectly legal

    an illegal immigrant = Law Breaker

    refugee and an asylum seeker =
    someytimes a combination of the two above but not always.
    References :

  6. Veritas Says:

    Can I use a generic term? ‘An unwanted pain in the butt’.
    References :

  7. mikehockhurts Says:

    What country are you from beaner? Gates are closed. Stay home and tell your kids to sell chicles and beads.
    References :

  8. Caicos Turkey Says:

    Immigrant — someone who has chosen for various reasons to move from his own country to another. It may not be a permanent arrangement and among the motives is being married to someone settled in that country, taking up employment in that country or retiring to that country using one’s own resources.

    Illegal immigrant — someone who has not entered a country legitimately, but has either done so clandestinely or lied to the authorities about his situation. Some economies rely on illegal immigrants for cheap labour. Illegal immigrants may include overstayers — people who remained after being refused leave by the authorities.

    Refugee — someone who has been forced to leave his own country by persecution or impossibility of remaining there because of some natural calamity. Given the choice (including the removal of the source of persecution or sorting out the natural calamity) he’d rather go home. The reason for leaving his own country is more significant than the identity of his country of exile, i.e. the primary reason for going weighs more heavily than the choice of country of exile.

    Asylum seeker — someone who found it necessary to flee his own country because of conditions there rendered life intolerable for him or members of his family. Such reasons may include persecution or targeting by kidnappers or other evil doers against which the police were powerless. They do not include economic pressure. Here the focus is on the country which has been chosen: he has left his own country with the intention of seeking right of abode in a particular destination. Under the various Conventions, he is supposed to seek refuge in the first ’safe’ country he comes to, but a surprising number arrive in the UK via all manner of other ’safe’ countries. For ’safe’ read ’soft’ (landing place).
    References :

  9. Clueless Says:

    She’s not hispanic! She’s a dillusional 64 year old Brit, that doesn’t love her own country. I hope she’s not living in the US, but if she is, she’s trying to determine which of the above she is.
    References :

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