The Semantics of Migration: Refugee v. Migrant Labels

Read our latest analysis up on GlobalPost on how the “migrant” and “refugee” labels can negatively effect developing migration policies worldwide. The migration crisis will not be solved by underscoring the distinctions between “migrants” and “refugees.” Relying on these over-simplified labels can be harmful to both groups.

The motivation for moving does not easily fall into “forced” or “voluntary” categories. A person can simultaneously flee persecution and still seek opportunity. Typically, ethno-religious, social, economic and political factors are inextricably combined as a more realistic explanation of population movements.

The right to movement is becoming a civil rights issue of our time and more fluid labels are needed to better assist displaced people. Mobility, not typology, should be central to developing migration policies.

Read the full article here.

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