Glossary

Asylum seeker: An individual who is seeking international protection. In countries with individualized procedures, an asylum seeker is someone whose claim has not yet been finally decided on by the country in which he or she has submitted it. Not every asylum seeker will ultimately be recognized as a refugee, but every recognized refugee is initially an asylum seeker.

Child migrant: A migrant that meets the definition of a child, which is here defined as every human being below the age of eighteen years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.

Destination country: A country that is the destination for a person or a group of persons, irrespective of whether they migrate regularly or irregularly.

Displacement: The movement of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or humanmade disasters.

Drivers of migration: Complex set of interlinking factors that influence an individual, family or population group’s decisions relating to migration, including displacement.

Environmental migration: The movement of persons or groups of persons who, predominantly for reasons of sudden or progressive changes in the environment that adversely affect their lives or living conditions, are forced to leave their places of habitual residence, or choose to do so, either temporarily or permanently, and who move within or outside their country of origin or habitual residence.

Feminization of migration: The changing nature of women’s migration, reflecting the fact that more women migrate independently rather than as members of a household, and are actively involved in employment.

Internal migration: The movement of people within a State involving the establishment of a new temporary or permanent residence.

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): Persons or groups of persons who have been forced or (IDPs) obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or humanmade disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border.

Migrant worker: A person who is to be engaged, is engaged or has been engaged in a remunerated activity in a State of which he or she is not a national.

Migration aspirations: Aspirations to migrate arise from the differential between current and aspired life satisfaction, aspirations to live in a certain country, and the intrinsic motivation to migrate, influenced by an individual’s personality traits. (Migration Research Hub, IMISCOE)

Migration corridor: An accumulation of migratory movements over time; provides a snapshot of how migration patterns have evolved into significant foreignborn populations in specific destination countries.

Migration cycle: Stages of the migration process encompassing departure, in some cases transit through a State, immigration in the State of destination and return.

Migration pathways: Migration schemes or other migration options that allow eligible persons to migrate regularly to the concerned country of destination based on conditions and for a duration defined by such country.

Migration: The movement of persons away from their place of usual residence, either across an international border or within a State.

Mixed motivations: The recognition that people impelled to leave their countries may be driven by a combination of fears, uncertainties, hopes and aspirations that may be difficult to unravel. (UNHCR)

Origin country: A country of nationality or of former habitual residence of a person or group of persons who have migrated abroad, irrespective of whether they migrate regularly or irregularly.

Refugee (1951 Convention): A person who, owing to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.

Regional migration: Migration within a country or a region.

Seasonal migration: Moving with each season or in response to labor or climate conditions.

Smuggling: The procurement, in order to obtain, directly or indirectly, a financial or other material benefit, of the irregular entry of a person into a State Party of which the person is not a national or a permanent resident.

Trafficking in persons: The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.