Guides · Updated 2026-10-28

Refugees, internally displaced people and asylum seekers

Wars force people from their homes, and news reports describe them with several different words. Each has a specific meaning, and the difference decides which protections a person has and which organisation is responsible for helping them.

Internally displaced person (IDP)

An IDP has been forced to leave their home but has stayed inside their own country. Because they have not crossed a border, their own government remains primarily responsible for them, even when that government is a party to the conflict. The UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (1998) set out their rights. They are not a treaty, though they reflect binding law such as international humanitarian law; in Africa, the 2009 Kampala Convention makes similar rules binding for the states that have ratified it. In many crises, IDPs greatly outnumber refugees, yet they receive less attention because they do not arrive in other countries.

Refugee

A refugee has crossed an international border and cannot return because of a well-founded fear of persecution, or, under several regional agreements, because of war and generalised violence. The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol define who is a refugee and set the core rule of non-refoulement: refugees must not be sent back to a place where their life or freedom is threatened. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, supports governments in protecting them and, in some countries, runs refugee registration itself.

Asylum seeker

An asylum seeker has applied for protection as a refugee in another country and is waiting for a decision. Not every asylum seeker is recognised as a refugee. When very large numbers of people arrive at once, states may recognise them as refugees as a group, without examining each case individually.

Migrant

“Migrant” is a broad word for people who move, often for work, study or family. It does not by itself say whether a person was forced to leave. Using “migrant” for people fleeing a war can hide the fact that they may have a right to protection; using “refugee” for everyone who moves can blur the same distinction in the other direction.

Returnees and stateless people

Reports also mention returnees, people who have gone back to their home area, often to damaged houses and without services. Stateless people are not recognised as citizens by any state; conflicts can make their situation worse because they may lack documents to cross borders or receive aid.

Why the numbers differ

Displacement figures come from governments, UN agencies, aid groups and research centres, each with different methods. Some count people, others count movements (one person displaced three times can be counted three times). Some count people who have returned home; others do not. Access to conflict areas is often limited, so many figures are estimates. When you compare numbers, check who produced them, what they count and what date they refer to. We do not repeat these figures on our map; our country pages link to the humanitarian sources that publish them under “Further reading”.