Who is what

Asylum seeker: One who has left his or her country and is seeking protection from persecution.

Refugee: One who has already received such protection. (Refugees have the right to international protection while seeking asylum is a human right, which means everyone should be allowed to enter another country to seek asylum.) Internally displaced people (IDPs): These are essentially those who are on the run in their own country: Putative refugees who have not been able or willing to cross an international border.

Migrants: The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) defines a migrant as any person who is moving or has moved across an international border or within a state regardless of legal status — whether the movement is voluntary or involuntary, what the causes for the movement are, and what the length of the stay is.

Expatriate: A weakly defined term that essentially means anyone living outside his or her native country.