A refugee is a person who flees their home to escape danger or threats to their safety. Oftentimes, refugees don’t know where they will end up or what will happen to them. They rarely have a chance to take their personal belongings with them or say goodbye to friends.

Sometimes news articles will refer to people running from natural events, like an earthquake or flood, or from economic trouble ‘refugees.’ However, this is not a correct use the word. Governments use the word ‘refugee’ strictly. A person who has ‘refugee’ status in a country is protected by that country while danger exists in their home country. People must apply for ‘refugee’ status and prove that they have a good reason for running from home.

Several recent events have caused people to flee their homes for fear of their safety. These include:

• Genocide in Rwanda
• Conflict in Tibet
• Violence in Darfur, Sudan

Copyright © ProjectExplorer 2009
Text: Matthew Boggie