Asylum seeker, refugee, or migrant: what’s the difference?

You have probably heard the words ‘asylum seeker‘, ‘refugee‘ and ‘migrant‘ many times, at work, around the family table, and in the news. Most of us use them as if they mean the same thing. Do they? No. And the difference matters, because it affects a person’s safety, their rights and where they can live. So let’s slow down and look at who each of them is and why they left home.

What is an asylum seeker?
An asylum seeker is someone who has left their home country to escape danger and has asked another country for protection. Their claim has not been decided yet, and waiting can take months or even years. During that time, many have nowhere safe to stay. That is why Safe Haven Housing Trust provides housing for asylum seekers in Auckland. For further helpful information on claiming refugee status, visit the Community Law website.

What is a refugee?
A refugee is someone who has fled their country because of persecution, war or violence, and whose need for protection has been formally recognised by a government or by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. They cannot safely return home.

What is a migrant?
Migrant is the broadest term. It covers anyone who moves from one place to another, within a country or across borders, usually by choice: for work, study, family or a better life. Migrants can generally return home safely, and they are covered by national immigration law rather than international refugee protection.

What this means in New Zealand
Refugees selected overseas through the quota programme arrive with a resettlement programme. Asylum seekers make their claim after they are already here, often with little support while it is processed. Housing is one of the biggest gaps.