Asylum Seekers, Refugees, Internally Displaced People (IDPs)... What's the Difference?

Most people in the world have left the place where they were born or grew up. Some of us move to the next town along and others move halfway across the world. Some people move for short periods of time; others leave forever. For some people, it’s a choice or exciting adventure. But every day, all over the world, people make the impossible decision to flee.  

There are now more than 117 million people worldwide who have been forced to flee their homes (source: UNHCR). This number is staggering – and at least 50% of them are women and children.

They might have been forced to flee persecution or human rights violations, like torture. Some no longer feel safe and might have been targeted just because of who they are or what they believe – for example, because of their ethnicity, religion, sexuality or political opinions. For others, it could have been due to climate disaster. It is predicted that in 2024, almost 63 million people will be displaced by violence and conflict alone (Source: UNHCR).

When people leave their homes, their journeys are often filled with danger and fear – despite their goals for a better, safer future. Many will leave people they love behind while grieving others they’ve lost or grappling with trauma from before they left. Some people risk falling prey to human trafficking and other forms of exploitation and many will be missing their support networks and lacking daily essentials like access to sufficient nutritious food, clean water, healthcare, period supplies, online connectivity, and more.

Despite many shared experiences between all displaced people, refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people face different circumstances. They have different legal statuses so it’s important not to use the terms interchangeably.

So, what's the difference? 

Using the correct language to describe asylum seekers, refugees and internally displaced people is important because each group has different rights, access to different resources and support, and faces unique challenges. But this isn't the only thing that defines a person who has been displaced. 

All of our identities are comprised of numerous characteristics and experiences. These labels - being an asylum seeker, refugee or internally displaced person - only captures one part of that. They are temporary terms and only reflect that they have fled their homes. Most displaced people will tell you there is so much more to them than this - their culture, religion, career, skills and hobbies, loved ones, interests and so on. 

The language that we use has the power to reduce people to their legal status, or to reflect the complexities of each and every person with dignity and respect. 

At Women for Women International, we talk about survivors - not victims. We focus on what women survivors of war can achieve, how they strengthen their families and communities, and how they choose to tell their own stories.