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Refugee News Across Europe and the US

Refugee news from Germany, the UK, Ireland and the US: status revocations, health coverage, settlement paths, deportations and the return of Ukrainians.

8 articles tagged Refugees

Articles tagged “Refugees”

Who Counts as a Refugee

Under the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, a refugee is a person outside their country of nationality who has a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group. Refugee status determination is mostly carried out by national authorities, such as BAMF in Germany or the Home Office in the UK, while UNHCR handles it in countries without their own system. The core protection is non-refoulement: a recognized refugee cannot be returned to a place where they face persecution.

An asylum seeker is someone whose claim has not yet been decided, so the two terms are not interchangeable. In the US, refugees are selected abroad through the US Refugee Admissions Program, whereas asylum is requested from inside the country or at the border; both groups can later apply for a green card with Form I-485 after one year of physical presence. Protection can also be withdrawn: German law allows BAMF to revoke status when conditions in the home country change or the holder commits serious crimes.

Most Ukrainians in the EU hold temporary protection under Directive 2001/55/EC, first activated in March 2022, rather than Convention refugee status.