Refugee facts for kids
A refugee is someone who has to leave their home country. They leave because it's no longer safe for them to stay there. This can be due to things like war, violence, or natural disasters. They might also be in danger because of their race, religion, or political beliefs.
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Understanding What a Refugee Is
In 1951, the United Nations (UN) created an important law called the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. This law helps us understand who a refugee is. It says a refugee is a person who has a good reason to fear being treated badly because of their race, religion, nationality, or what social group or political opinion they belong to. They are outside their home country and cannot get protection from it.
Later, in 1967, this law was updated. It also started to include people who had to run away from war and violence in their country.
Asylum Seekers and Asylees
A person who is trying to be officially recognized as a refugee is called an asylum seeker. If an asylum seeker is accepted, especially in the United States, they are then known as an asylee.
Why Do People Become Refugees?
People become refugees for many different reasons. Often, it's because their home country is no longer a safe place for them.
- Danger and Conflict: It might not be safe to stay because of war, civil unrest, or other kinds of violence.
- Natural Disasters: Sometimes, people have to leave due to big natural disasters like terrible floods or famine (when there isn't enough food).
- Persecution: They might be treated unfairly or harmed because of who they are, their beliefs, or their background. This is called persecution.
- Economic Hardship: In some cases, people cannot earn enough money to live or support themselves and their families.
- Forced Removal: People might be forced to leave their homes by their government or other groups.
- Religious Reasons: Sometimes, people are forced to leave because of their religion.
See also
In Spanish: Refugiado para niños
Images for kids
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Konrad Schumann, an East German border guard, fleeing East Germany towards West Germany in 1962
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Refugees from Herzegovina, painting by Uroš Predić in 1889 made in the aftermath of the Herzegovina Uprising (1875–77)
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One million Armenians were forced to leave their homes in Anatolia in 1915, and many either died or were murdered on their way to Syria.
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Children preparing for evacuation from Spanish during the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939.
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Czech refugees from the Sudetenland, October 1938
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Polish child refugees and war orphans in Balachadi, British India, 1941
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Russian refugees near Stalingrad, 1942
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Polish refugees in Tehran, Iran, at an American Red Cross evacuation camp, 1943
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A Dutch school teacher leads a group of refugee children just disembarked from a ship at Port of Tilbury in Essex, England, United Kingdom during 1945.
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German refugees from East Prussia, 1945
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Jewish refugees from Europe protest at a refugee camp in Cyprus, 1947
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UNHCR tents at a refugee camp following episodes of xenophobic violence and rioting in South Africa, 2008
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A camp in Guinea for refugees from Sierra Leone
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Refugee camp in the Congo
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Erstaufnahmelager Jenfelder Moorpark
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Refugees from Vietnam land at Hamburg on the Cap Anamur II in 1986
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For over 30 years, several tens of thousands of Sahrawi refugees have been living in the region of Tindouf, Algeria, in the heart of the desert.
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After challenging Queen Jezebel, Elijah takes refuge in a cave until the voice of God calls him in this 1860 woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld.
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Pro-refugee protest in Melbourne, Australia, with a banner reading "No one is illegal" with a Circle A
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Refugee camp in South Sudan, 2016
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