Immigrant or Refugee?
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
- Emma Lazarus, The New Colossus (1883)
Immigrants are people who move to a new country, seeking opportunities for work or education, the chance to reunite with family members, and the promise of a better life in a new country. Some immigrants arrive here having fled violence and persecution.
Refugees are immigrants who were forced to leave their home countries fleeing war, violence, or persecution on the basis of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. They cannot safely return home.
The word "refugee" first described Protestants who fled France to avoid religious persecution under King Louis XIV in 1685. It came to refer to those fleeing their countries as a result of war and other types of persecution, such as the Jews who faced pogroms in Eastern Europe in the late 1800s, or Armenians persecuted by the Ottoman Empire in the early 1900s.
Recognizing that the world had failed to provide safe haven to refugees from Nazi Germany during World War II, 145 countries signed the 1951 Refugee Convention. This agreement defined refugees in international law and created standards to protect refugees from being sent back to countries where they are likely to be subject to persecution. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been charged with assisting refugees worldwide.
How many immigrants are there?
The U.S. has more immigrants than any other country. Immigrants comprise just over 13% of the U.S. population - close to the historic peak of 15% in 1890. Immigrants in the U.S. come from almost every country in the world. Currently, Mexico, China, and India are the top birthplaces for immigrants in the United States. In recent years, the majority of immigrants coming to the U.S. are from Asia.
Most immigrants are here with legal documentation. About a quarter of immigrants in the U.S., however, either entered illegally or overstayed their visas after entering legally. The number of unauthorized immigrants has been declining since 2007.
How many refugees are there?
We are currently living in the midst of the worst worldwide refugee crisis since the end of World War II.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are 22.5 million refugees in the world today. More than half of all refugees worldwide come from just three countries: Syria, Afghanistan, and South Sudan. More than half the population of Syria is displaced by the ongoing conflict in that country. There is also significant flight from Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Myanmar, and Eritrea.
Refugees resettling in Connecticut come from many countries. Over half, however, are from Myanmar (Burma), Iraq, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Somalia.
